BMC likely to increase fine for spitting in public places to ₹1,200

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday said that it is likely to increase the fine amount for spitting in public areas to ₹1,200 from the existing ₹200 owing to the rising number of offenders amid the Covid-19 outbreak

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday said that it is likely to increase the fine amount for spitting in public areas to ₹1,200 from the existing ₹200 owing to the rising number of offenders amid the Covid-19 outbreak.

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BMC in a statement said that municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal has given his nod to increase the fine amount. According to civic officials, the revised fine amount will be announced officially in the coming days as it will require the state government nod.

Civic officials said that recently the Bombay high court, while hearing a petition, had questioned why BMC slaps a fine of only ₹200 for spitting at public places, while the police fines violators ₹1,200 for the same offence.

“Though there are no directions to hike the fine amount from any court, we are proposing to increase it,” a civic official said.

In a statement on Tuesday, BMC said more than 14,000 citizens have been fined ₹28.67 lakh for spitting in public places in the past seven months. The highest fine ( ₹3.29 lakh) was collected from L-Ward, that covers Kurla, while the lowest – ₹11,600 – was from from T ward., covering Mulund.