BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Government on Friday made spitting in public places punishable by further amending the Covid-19 Regulations, 2020. Announcing the decision, Chief Secretary Asit Kumar Tripathy said spitting has been made a compoundable offence in the Covid-19 regulations under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897. The amended provisions will come into force immediately.

The Chief Secretary said a fine of `200 will be imposed for the first three violations and `500 for subsequent violations. Tripathy said extension officers in block, additional tehsildar, ASI of police and ward officers of municipalities have been empowered to enforce the rule and impose fine.

He said since spitting in public places enhances the chances of infection, the Government has notified it as an offence. Ganjam and Bhadrak districts had earlier imposed similar fines to check the spread of Covid-19. On March 13, while declaring the pandemic as a ‘State disaster’, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had made a personal appeal to people of Odisha to stop spitting paan.