Chewing pan, gutkha & spitting in Odisha Assembly premises now a punishable offence

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Assembly Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro has ordered that spitting while chewing of paan, supari, gutkha etc in the premises of the State Assembly will be considered as a punishable offence and the violators will be penalised upto Rs 500.

“The Hon’ble Speaker has been pleased to order that Spitting while chewing of paan, supari, gutkha etc in public utility areas/places as well as working places of Odisha Legislative Assembly Secretariat and the Guest Houses, Patel Hall and Bidhayak Bhawan and others premises is a punishable offence and fine shall be imposed upto Rs 500 on the violators  henceforth,” said an order issued by the Secretariat of the Odisha Legislative Assembly.

Earlier on April 27, the Government of Odisha banned spitting in public places to check the spread of coronavirus and warned that those violating the ban will be fined upto Rs 500.

While announcing the decision, Chief Secretary Asit Kumar Tripathy had said that spitting has been made a compoundable offence in the Covid-19 regulations under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.