PANAJI
Badshah of Bollywood Shahrukh Khan and other smoker colleagues from the film industry will have to tread cautiously at venues in Goa if they decide to make an appearance at the ongoing 52nd edition of the International Film Festival of India.
At all the IFFI venues in Goa, Section 4 of COPTA will be "strictly enforced" throughout the 10-day event.
According to Dr Tariq Thomas, IAS, who heads the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) as its Chief Executive Officer and member-secretary, all the venue of the IFFI programmes are strictly 'no smoking areas under the The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 (COTPA).
Thomas has assured implementation of the anti-smoking law at the IFFI venues, according to consumer activist Roland Martins.
Thomas has also assured Martins who is co-ordinator of GOACAN, a State-wide consumer rights organisation, that announcements will be made regularly through the day informing delegates that all venues of IFFI programmes and events are strictly "No Smoking Areas".
'No Smoking' signages are also being displayed in strategic locations at the venues.
Over a decade ago, Bollywood megastar Ajay Devgan had courted controversy for smoking in public during a shoot for Golmaal here in Goa under a local anti-smoking law.
The State's Directorate of Health Services had initiated the action against Devgan then, after the local branch of National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE), had notified it of the violations.
