Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 9: As there is no specific law to regulate the sale of acid/corrosive substances in Jammu and Kashmir, Home Secretary has issued guidelines to check across the counter sale of acid and required to be followed by the educational institutions, research laboratories, hospitals, Government departments and Public Sector Undertakings. The directions have been issued to the District Magistrates, Sub-Divisional Magistrates and Tehsildars to ensure compliance to the guidelines in letter and spirit.
The necessity to check the sale of acid and other corrosive substances was felt across the country when Supreme Court, while hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by Delhi-based acid attack victim, had on July 18, 2013 directed that the crime be made a non-bailable offence and enhanced to Rs 3 lakh the compensation amount for the victims.
Following Supreme Court’s slew of directions, the Union Home Minister asked all the States to ban across the counter sale of acid in the wake of rising incidents of attacks on women using the chemical.
While analyzing the Home Ministry’s directives, the State Government found that there is no specific law in Jammu and Kashmir to regulate sale of acid and other corrosive substances. Since the implementation of the Supreme Court and Union Home Ministry’s directions was imperative even in the absence of any explicit law, the Principal Secretary, Home Department, Suresh Kumar in the recent past issued guidelines for keeping check on sale of acid, sources said.
As per the circular addressed to all the concerned, Principal Secretary, Home Department has laid stress on strict compliance to the directions to regulate sale of acid/corrosive substances in the State until such time the rules under the Jammu and Kashmir Poisons Act, 1977 are framed by the State Government.
Conveying to all the District Magistrates, Sub-Divisional Magistrates and Tehsildars that across the counter sale of the acid is completely prohibited, the Home Secretary has stated that the seller is required to maintain a log/register recording the sale of acid, which shall contain the details of the person(s) to whom acid(s) are sold and the quantity sold, sources said.
“The log/register shall contain the address of the person to whom it is sold. All the sellers shall sell acid only after the buyer shows a photo Identity Card issued by the Government and contains the address of the person”, sources said quoting the guidelines, adding “the sellers shall also specify the reason/purpose for procuring acid”.
The Home Secretary has also directed that all stocks of acid must be declared by the seller with the concerned Sub-Divisional Magistrate or to the Tehsildars where there is no SDM failing which the SDM will confiscate the stock and suitably impose a fine on such seller up to Rs 50,000. Moreover, SDM has been empowered to impose fine up to Rs 50,000 on any seller who commits breach of any of the guidelines, sources said, adding the advisory has also stressed that no acid shall be sold to any person who is below 18 years of age.
About the educational institutions, research laboratories, hospitals, Government departments and Public Sector Undertakings, which are required to keep and store acid, sources said that Home Secretary has directed all such institutions to maintain a register of usage of acid and the same shall be filed with the concerned SDM/Tehsildar.
He has directed for making a person accountable for possession and safe keeping of acid in these institutions/premises. “The acid shall be stored under the supervision of this person and there shall be compulsory checking of the students/personnel leaving the laboratories/place of storage where acid is used”, the advisory said.
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