Public drinking to attract heavy fine

NT NETWORK

 

PANAJI

From August 1 drinking in public places will be punishable with a heavy fine together with a stiff penalty for littering and dumping plastic waste.

Regretting the lack of civic sense among residents and outsiders,  Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday said the government would impose a heavy fine on those found dirtying the state.

The fine for drinking in public will be heavy while that for dumping plastic waste will be increased to Rs 2,500 from Rs 100 from August 1, he said.

The Chief Minister pointed out that it is difficult to keep the state clean due to the influx of tourists.

“Panaji city alone receives one lakh visitors daily, many of who drink and leave empty beer bottles on beaches,” Parrikar said  adding that local residents are no better in sullying the surroundings as they carelessly throw waste.

“Plastic bags filled with flowers are being thrown in the Mandovi  and on the bridge daily despite repeated pleas from the civic authorities to stop the practice,” he said.

The Chief Minister pointed out that residents who wish to throw  their prayer flowers into the river need to do it by the riverbank and after disposing of the plastic bag.

The Chief Minister was speaking at an IT event of the EDC where he suggested that the corporation take up cleanliness of the state capital as its CSR activity.

“At present the EDC is using its profits to come up with employment generation schemes. But it can also take up cleanliness of Panaji city as part of its numerous CSR initiatives so as to lessen the burden of the government,” advised the Chief Minister.

The government expends effort and funds in cleanliness due to the lack of civic sense among residents, he pointed out.

In September 2017, the government had proposed a ban on consumption of liquor in public places. The proposal was to impose fines or cancel licences of liquor shops that allow people to drink near the shops.

The fine would be in the range of Rs 5,000, it was indicated.

The proposal was to amend the state Excise Duty Act, 1964, to impose penalties on those found drinking in select public places.