Soon, spitting and littering in public places will cost Delhiites dear. The Delhi Government seems to be in hurry to finalise a proposal for enhancing fines for littering by change in sanitation bylaws in Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Act in the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet project Swachh Bharat Programme. Under the anti-littering law, spitting, defecating and bathing in public places would invite hefty penalties from municipal inspectors, who would challan litterbugs on the spot.
As per the existing law, the civic agency issues a fine of Rs50 for the abovementioned offences. But once the new law is implemented, people will have to pay anywhere between Rs200 and Rs500. It has also proposes to charge Rs20,000 from those who leave debris lying on the streets. Besides, all the pet owners who let their pets out into the streets to litter will likely to be fined Rs1,000 by the civic body.
A proposal to this effect has been sent to law Department. Chief Secretary Deepak Mohan Spolia has fixed deadline by September 9 for finalising fines for littering and spitting. This has been decided at a high-level meeting chaired by Spolia last week.
At a high-level meeting, the chief secretary has made it clear that Urban Development Department should finalise the fines and penalty clause by September 9, to implement Swachh Bharat Programme of the Ministry of Urban Development with effect from September 25 to October 2. The Chief Secretary directed that Secretary (Urban Development) should chair a committee of Commissioners of three MCDs and officers of law Department and finalise the matter by September 9. During the meeting, Secretary (Urban Development) informed that a proposal for enhancing fines for littering and spitting by change in sanitation bylaws in MCD Act has been sent to the law Department for vetting. The proposal is pending with the law Department.
It is noteworthy that MCD has approved an amendment in the sanitation law, proposes stricter penalty for littering and spitting at public places. Under the law, those caught spitting, littering, urinating, defecating, bathing; etc in public place will have to pay a hefty penalty. A total of 1,000 inspectors would be deployed all across the city to challan Delhiites.
“Once implemented, it will help the civic agency in keeping the city clean,”’ said a senior MCD official. MCD says the move is in accordance with the directions of the Supreme Court, which had, in 2006, stated that a strict law should be formulated for those who litter the city. “The process to raise the fines started in 2007. But now the officials from all the three corporations have reached an agreement. Apart from the hike in sanitation-related fines we are also looking at better enforcement to properly implement the bylaws,” a senior MCD official said.