The State government has proposed to make it mandatory for shops in urban areas to obtain licences for selling cigarettes and other tobacco products.
The draft bylaws of Karnataka Municipalities (Regulation and inspection of places used for sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products) seek to prohibit sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products without obtaining licenses from the jurisdictional municipal corporations. The provisions of these rules shall apply to all the municipal corporations, including Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).
The Department of Urban Development issued a notification on the draft bylaws on December 31, 2020 inviting objections. The bylaws will come into force after three months from the date of their final publication in the official gazette.
The government’s move is aimed at curbing the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products, which are considered to be a heath hazard, said sources in the Anti-Tobacco Cell.
According to the notification, application for the licenses should be submitted to the Commissioner or Chief Officer of the jurisdictional municipal corporation in the stipulated form along with a fee of ₹500 and the same may be considered for grant of licence for a period of 5 years and the conditions to be followed.
Renewable after 5 years
The licence granted under the bylaw can be renewed after five years and the application for renewal has to be made one month prior to the expiry of the licence.
The licence is to be displayed in a conspicuous place on the licensed premises. The conditions specified in the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition, Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce products, supply and distribution) Act 2003 and rules made thereunder shall be strictly followed, the bylaws add.
Any person aggrieved by the orders of the authority regarding grant or renewal of license may appeal within 15 days of the receipt of such an order to the Assistant Commissioner of the sub-division, Deputy Commissioner of the district in the case of municipal corporations other than BBMP, and the Commissioner of BBMP in the case of BBMP.
Any breach of the provision of these bylaws will be punishable with a fine.
