BENGALURU: Several retailers came together in the city on Thursday stating that the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP’s) health officers and the police have been harassing them. They say the health officers have been fining retailers for public smoking, instead of the smokers who smoke near the store.
When The New Indian Express got a look at the manual receipts given by these officers, it was seen that the section of violation was not mentioned. The amount also varied in each receipt.
“These officials visit small retailers frequently and tell them that they are not following tobacco control laws. All our retailers are law-abiding citizens and the question of violating laws does not arise. Officials many a times confiscate legal cigarette stocks without giving valid reasons or proper documents, which further puts a financial stress on shopkeepers who are already burdened with loans,” said B N Murali Krishna, president of the Karnataka State Retail Beedi-Cigarette Merchants Association.
The retailers are also forced to pay bribes to BBMP health inspectors, as well as police officers every month to keep their shop open. Ganesh Shetty, a retailer from Mahalakshmi Layout said, “They take away all the cigarettes and give us no reason or warning. It makes us look like criminals.”
S Murugan, Additional Commissioner of Police (East) said that the shopkeepers must request smokers to go elsewhere to smoke. “They are not violating any law and hence should not be subjected to harassment. They can approach higher officers and raise a complaint,” he added.
On questioning BBMP Chief Health Officer, Dr Vijendra Bilaguli on the same, he said that he did not receive any complaints so far.