The government is preparing to bring ordinance regarding Haryana Dead Body Respect Bill (2023) and Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products (COTP) Amendment Bill (2023). The proposal regarding both the bills will be passed in the Haryana Cabinet meeting to be held on January 3.
Both bills under Home and Health Minister Anil Vij’s purview will be presented in the cabinet meeting following his directive to Home Department officials. Once approved by the cabinet, they’ll proceed to the Governor for ordinance approval spanning six months. Subsequently, these ordinances are slated for introduction during the Assembly’s upcoming budget session in February.
To stop the cases of blocking roads by keeping dead bodies in Haryana, the Home Department has prepared the Haryana Dead Body Respect Bill 2023. The bill was to be introduced in the winter session, but when the bill was sent to the Assembly at the last moment, the Speaker returned it. The government is now bringing it as an ordinance. In this bill, on the lines of Rajasthan, legal action will be taken against those who block the road by keeping dead bodies on the road in Haryana.
In this law, there is a provision of 2 years’ imprisonment for blocking the dead body by keeping it on the road. Not only this, a punishment of 5 years has been fixed against the government leaders who instigated the protest by participating in the protest with the dead body. After the implementation of this bill, it will be the responsibility of the administration to perform the last rites of the dead body in case of protests. In the bill, DSP and SHO will be given powers to get the dead body cremated on time in the presence of the magistrate at their level.
Following the prohibition of herbal-hookah service in Haryana’s restaurants and clubs, legislation is underway to formalize this ban into law through Kotpa. The proposed law, set to be enacted as an ordinance, includes stringent measures such as non-bailable penalties and hefty fines for operators of hookah bars.
However, traditional and personal hookah smoking remains unrestricted. The law focuses on prohibiting the serving of flavored hookahs containing tobacco in hotels, restaurants, bars, and nightclubs across the state. Notably, certain districts in Haryana continue to serve tobacco and flavored hookahs, sometimes mixing banned narcotics, enticing the youth and fostering addictive habits.
While flavored hookahs might lack nicotine, their smoke carries harmful elements like carbon monoxide (CO), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), volatile aldehydes, and heavy metals. These compounds directly impact the heart and escalate the risk of lung diseases, potentially leading to severe health complications. Consequently, a ban is proposed on serving these flavored hookahs to mitigate associated health risks.