the goan I network
MARGAO
In a host of directions intended to take the war against tobacco forward, a high level meeting of the district level co-ordination committee on Tobacco Control has issued directions to various agencies to install the ‘tobacco free zone’ signages at the bus stands, educational and other institutions across the South Goa district.
The meeting chaired by Additional District Collector, South Arvind Kuttkar has also issued directions to the deputy directors of the south and central educational zones to issue a circular to the educational institutions across the south district to set up tobacco control committees in the schools to tackle the menace of tobacco head on. The stress on the constitution of the tobacco control panels is intended to ensure that these committees also play its due role in the control of tobacco around the educational institutions.
Further directions have been issued to the Block Development Officers to issue circulars to the panchayat bodies to take note of the new warning message that cigarettes manufacturing companies are mandated to carry on the packets.
To bring better coordination amongst the various agencies such as the Airport Authority of India running the Dabolim airport, MPT and CISF, a joint meeting has been mooted in the near future to ensure that officials of these agencies are kept abreast of new regulations brought into force by the government on tobacco products.
The tobacco free zone signages will not only be installed at bus stands, educational and government institutions, but at the various beaches in South Goa. Presently, bus stands, beach belts and government departments were only playing host to the no smoking signages, but the authorities are now gearing up to ensure that all public places now get the tobacco free zone signages as per the latest central government guidelines as the stress is not just only tobacco smoking, but chewing as well.
It has been decided to ask the Transport Department to get all the private and public buses to install the tobacco free zone signages inside the buses. Assistant Transport Director, South Vinod Arlekar has been told to implement the measures and file compliance.
The tourism department, which had in the past put up the no smoking signages at only the popular tourists destinations in South Goa, has now submitted that the tobacco free zone signages will also come up at all the beach belts across the district.
Incidentally, the South Goa district was declared as a smoke free zone over half a decade ago following an audit done by the competent authorities during the tenure of then South Goa district Collector, N D Agrawal. Officials pointed out that the host of measures contemplated by the district level co-ordination committee on tobacco control will further help the district to control use of tobacco products in and around public places.
