Top court allows ban on smoking

The nationwide ban on smoking in all public places from October 2 will go ahead, with the Supreme Court on Monday refusing to stay the Centre’s notification in this regard.

A bench headed by Justice B.N. Agarwal, refusing to stay the May 30, 2008 notification, also transferred four petitions, including one each filed by ITC and Indian Hotels Association, against it in the Delhi high court.

“We are of the view that it is not a fit case for grant of interim relief. The prayer staying implementation of prohibition of smoking in public places is rejected... Let transfer cases be heard on November 18,” the bench said.

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India, Pakistan inch closer to starting Line of Control trade

India and Pakistan have made good progress towards starting trade across the Line of Control, but the euphoria was tempered by Islamabad’s reluctance to open a third trade route between Kargil and Skardu and its dilly-dallying over dispatching a business delegation from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to Srinagar.

The Indo-Pak joint working group on cross-LoC confidence-building measures, which met here on Monday, firmed up lists of items to be traded on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawalkot routes. Both countries will trade in export surplus commodities. Customs and security matters were also discussed.

India was keen to launch cross-LoC trade in the first week of October, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti and Id-ul-Fitr, but the Pakistani delegation led by additional secretary (South Asia) Aizaz Ahmed Choudhary is understood to have told the Indian team, headed by external affairs ministry joint secretary (Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran) T.C.A. Raghavan, that it wanted more time.

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In 3 weeks: Smoke, pay Rs 200

In just over three weeks, school principals, police personnel and railway ticket checkers will have extra work: enforcing the nationwide ban on smoking in public places, in effect from Gandhi Jayanti.

Violators will be fined Rs 200 each time. The Union health ministry is working on the modalities of giving NGOs and non-official bodies powers to enforce the ban.

If health minister Anbumani Ramadoss has his way, the fine may go up to Rs 1,000 for individuals and Rs 5,000 for institutions for violations of the smoking ban.

From October 2, all offices — government as well as private sector, hospitals, banks, courts, hotels, restaurants, bars, discos, shops, railway waiting rooms will turn into no smoking zones.

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