Strictening his stance further on smoking, the union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss announced that the organizations will have to pay heavy fines, if employees found smoking in their offices.

In order to fulfill its objective to discourage people from smoking in public and lessen the risk of passive smoking, the union health ministry has also taken yet another step to put the fine burden on organisations that permit its workers to smoke within its premises.

The health ministry is planning a sharp increase in the fine for smoking in public with the organization where the breach happens also being asked to cough up a huge fine.

Anbumani said that the administration has decided to raise the fine limits on a person smoking in public places from Rs 200 to Rs 1,000.

If employees are found smoking in their office, the organisation will have to pay a heavy fine of Rs 5,000 for each smoker caught in the act.

Ramadoss stated, “Not just the individual but even the institution will have to pay fines for public smoking. At present, when enforcers visit restaurants and challan people for smoking, people get away by bribing the enforcer. Soon, the fines will be larger and the enforcement mechanism stronger and tighter.”