Haryana Government has constituted a state level coordination committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary or Principal Secretary Health Department for the overall implementation of national tobacco control programme in the State.
The members of the committee included ACS of the Departments of Home, School Education, Higher Education, Finance, Rural Development, Information and Public Relations, Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare, Development and Panchayats, said a spokesman of Health Department.
Apart from this, Secretary labour Department or labour Commissioner, Secretary Panchayati Raj, Secretary law and legislative Department, Director National Health Mission among others will be the members of the committee.
Mission Director, National Health Mission would serve as Member Secretary whereas medical officer NTCP would act as nodal officer. Civil Society organisations working on Health or tobacco control would also serve as members of the committee.
Referring to the roles of different departments or agencies, the spokesman said that Health Secretary would act as nodal secretary for convening the meetings and also responsible for the programme to control tobacco in the Health Department.
Similarly, Home Department would direct the State police heads to enforce all provisions under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibitation of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act (COTPA). It would also regularly review COTPA implementation in the monthly crime review meetings and regular collection of violation of COTPA related data.