The notice put up at the Writers’ Buildings gates prohibiting smoking on the premises. Picture by Sanat Kumar Sinha

“You are entering a no-smoking zone. Smoking and spitting in Writers’ Buildings are prohibited and punishable under the law.” This is the sign that greeted chain smoker Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee as he entered the secretariat through the central gate on Monday morning.

And the chief minister did stay on the right side of the law for the three hours he spent at Writers’ browsing through the state budget, hours before it was placed in the Assembly.

“I did not see him (Bhattacharjee) smoke inside Writers’ today,” said chief secretary Amit Kiran Deb.

An official in the chief minister’s secretariat said Bhattacharjee was “feeling uneasy” and repeatedly asked for tea, “perhaps to make good the forced absence of tobacco”.

It’s not known whether the chief minister was suffering from headache and loss of concentration, which, according to doctors, may affect those who give up the cancer stick suddenly.

“If one doesn’t quit smoking gradually, with the help of counselling and in some cases, medication, there could be withdrawal symptoms,” warned critical care expert Subrata Maitra.

But there was no stopping PWD minister Kshiti Goswami, whose department put up the sign on all six gates of Writers’. “If the chief minister stops smoking in the secretariat, others must follow suit,” he declared.

Over a dozen ministers and bureaucrats are among those who will have to stop lighting up in office, said officials.

A senior clerk in the finance department who had to step out during lunch for a smoke, felt the ban would finally make him do what entreaties by his wife and children could not — quit smoking.

M.L. Meena, the secretary of the environment department, which ordered the PWD to put up the signs, said though both state and central acts prohibiting smoking were in force, they were not being enforced.

“About three months ago, the PWD, Calcutta police and my department decided to ensure that the acts were strictly enforced at Writers’,” he added.

“Those caught smoking or spitting at Writers’ will be fined a minimum of Rs 1,000 and a maximum of Rs 5,000 or will be imprisoned for three months,” said Biswajit Mukherjee, a senior law officer in environment department.

To ensure that the violators at Writers’ are caught, the smoke detectors in the rooms will be lowered, said the chief engineer (electrical) of the PWD.