MHA made Spitting offence under Section 51 b of the Disaster Management Act

Union Home Ministry making the act a punishable offence under the strict Disaster Management Act in its revised guidelines for lockdown issued to contain COVID-19. The guidelines issued by the ministry also make wearing of face masks in public places mandatory.

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Key-Points

The guidelines also mandated the wearing of face masks in public places.

MHA has made spitting punishable with a fine under Section 51 (b) of the Disaster Management Act. 

Spitting in public has been already made an offence under municipal laws in various cities. This has been hardly taken seriously by the people in the country.

Measures have been taken by the Municipal corporations of Delhi and several other states.

Assam, Bihar, Haryana, Maharashtra, Nagaland, Jharkhand, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand have already issued orders to ban tobacco products and spitting in public places amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

MHA imposed a strict ban on the sale of liquor, ‘gutka’, tobacco, etc. It strictly prohibited spitting in public places.

The directives shall be implemented by district magistrates through fines and penal action given under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

Anyone refusing to comply with the order of government orders under the Disaster Management Act will result in imprisonment up to one year or a fine, or both.