Special Correspondent

Panaji, Sep 8: Bollywood actor Ajay Devgan was found puffing cigarette in the no-smoking area and there are proper sign boards installed there warning people against smoking, a senior Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) official has clarified.

Manoj Srivastava, ESG’s Chief executive officer, said that the premises run by the society are public places where smoking is strictly banned. Devgan was found smoking in ESG’s courtyard in May,
this year, while shooting for Golmaal 3 movie. “We have displayed proper boards there. As per the law, it is banned to smoke there. Devgan must not have seen the boards,” Srivastava told PTI. 

The state directorate of health services (DHS) had filed  a complaint with local police based on the photographs submitted by anti-tobacco NGO – National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE),  which showed the actor with a cigarratte in the mouth.

After being fined for violating anti-tobacco act,  the actor had told reporters in Mumbai that he has this bad habit of smoking and he wants to get rid of it. “As you are asking about Goa, I don’t want to discuss this but I would like to say that smoking was allowed in the place where I was doing that,” said Devgan, who starred in the recent movie `Once Upon a Time in Mumbai’.

NOTE General Secretary Dr Shekhar Salkar today said that ESG premises is very much a public place where smoking is not allowed.  “I have read Devgan’s statement in the newspaper. I am happy that
he is aware that there are places where smoking is prohibited. The only thing is that he should have verified with the people around whether he is standing in smoking or no smoking zone,” Dr Salkar said.

He further said that it’s a positive sign that the actor intends to quit smoking. “He can consult any doctor or visit tobacco cessation clinics where he would be provided proper guidance. We know that smoking is a difficult addiction to do away with,” he added.