Chandigarh, India
Vendors may soon have to acquire licences to sell tobacco products in the city, if the proposed move of the Chandigarh Administration gets implemented in the coming months.
In a meeting of the Chandigarh Tobacco Control Cell, under the chairmanship of Home–cumHealth Secretary Ram Niwas, the Administration proposed to introduce licensing of tobacco vendors so that the provisions of the Control of Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) are adhered to effectively. Niwas directed to install hoardings displaying smoke–free status of the city at the entry points, bus stands, railway station and airport so as to create awareness among visitors to the city.
It was also decided that the general public can now file complaints with evidence regarding violations of COTPA through e–mail, e–Jansampark and telephonically to the nearest police station.
The additional SHO of each police station has been designated as the nodal officer for COTPA.
Niwas also asked the Director of Public Instructions to conduct a survey to ensure there is no sale of tobacco products within 100 yards of educational institutions.
All the members of CTCC, who have already been empowered to issue challans under Sections 4 and 6 of COTPA, will be issued identity cards so that they can ensure better compliance of the Act.
The Health Secretary lauded the fact that 744 challans had been issued under COTPA to the violators in the present year.
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Source: Indian Express
