A ‘Clean’ law in Indian Dustbin
Heart Care Foundation will invoke it for making India clean
A ‘Clean’ law in Indian Dustbin
New Delhi, October 9: One cannot be faulted for wondering whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi is aware of this piece of ‘clean’ law which is lying in dustbin of Indian laws.
For even a little dirtying act, this provision of law can send you to jail for six months.
As PM Modi is on a cleansing Indian law armory of its redundant and inhibitive laws, he must spare a thought or two about this very useful one. If this provision is done away with, it would be like throwing the baby with the dirty water. ‘It is your weapon, Mr. Modi’.
Heart Care Foundation of India has excavated this provision of law to play up in its 5 days MTNL Perfect Health Mela in Talkatora starting from November 4 to accentuate PM Modi’s Clean India Campaign. There could be some arrests too as part of the strategy to create a buzz around this provision.
Dr. K.K. Aggarwal, president, Heart Care Foundation of India and Secretary General, Indian Medical Association disclosed this in a press conference for announcing the Health Mela schedule yesterday.
Section 269 in the penal code, which is part of the central law, clearly reads the riot act as follows-
- Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life.—Whoever unlawfully or negligently does any act which is, and which he knows or has reason to believe to be, likely to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine, or with both.
It is understandable why this provision is being kept idle. Because if it is invoked and comes in currency, not only individuals but a host of agencies right from corporations, hospitals, hotels and what not would be in the dragnet for even a little act of omissions.
That is why when Dr. Aggarwal brought this provision for use in stopping TB spread in talk with central health authorities; they were reluctant to give it even a thought, saying it is too harsh to even think of. Dr. Aggarwal said, ‘why not use this just for the sake of creating buzz for cleanliness. What is wrong in it if it is used in stimulating police?’
