BBMP cracks down on tobacco sales with new licensing rules

Any outlet that sells tobacco products within the BBMP limits will have to apply for a separate licence, starting May-end.

Licensing is expected to control the sale of tobacco products and also reduce the number of outlets.

The implementation comes years after the state government notified the draft Karnataka Municipal Corporations (Regulation and inspection of places used for sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products) Rules, back in 2020. The final version of the rules was notified last year. This January, the Directorate of Municipal Administration issued a circular, mandating all local bodies in the state to implement it.

According to the rules, any existing or upcoming outlet selling tobacco products in Bengaluru has to pay Rs 500 and procure a separate licence from the Palike. The licence will be valid for five years, and should be renewed periodically. Outlets without a licence can be fined up to Rs 5,000, and additionally Rs 100 per day for continued violation.

The vendor should display the licence prominently on the premises, and also comply with the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA).

Compliance with COTPA would mean that not all vendors would get licences, says Prabhakara, project manager at the State Tobacco Control Cell. For example, COTPA does not allow tobacco outlets within 100 yards of educational institutions.

With data on vendors, the BBMP will also be able to better enforce COTPA provisions like displaying no-smoking signs at the outlets. Currently, only 35-40% vendors comply with this provision, and public smoking around shops is common. Restaurants and hotels commonly violate the rules on designated smoking areas as well.

While the absence of a COTPA enforcement squad was a lacunae in Bengaluru earlier, the BBMP has recently set up one squad per assembly constituency, Dr K V Trilok Chandra, BBMP Special Commissioner (Health), said . The squad comprises officials from the BBMP and other departments like police, education and legal metrology.

The BBMP’s trade licensing section will issue licences, and the process will be fully online. “Since the regular trade licence process is ongoing, we can’t disrupt the backend system now. Once that’s over, we will take up tobacco vendor licensing by May end,” Chandra said.