The Ranchi district administration will actively involve school principals in anti-tobacco campaign besides the nodal officials of tobacco control unit to curb the sale of intoxicating products within the peripheral of school premises. Following the orders of Supreme Court (SC) and taking a stringent action to restrain the sale of tobacco products within a 100-yard radius from educational institution setups functioning in State Capital, school principals will now enforce fines on shopkeepers violating the set rules.
“Not many people are familiar that even school principals have the right to impose and collect fines from shopkeepers who sale tobacco products within a radius of their school premises. This year through rigorous drive, school principals will be approached and involved in the project. As per the set norms, school principals have been given legal right to collect fine from the shopkeepers selling gutkas and other intoxicating products,” said, Ranchi DC, Manoj Kumar.
“As per the norms, Rs500 to Rs. 600 is the penalty amount that is imposed on the shopkeepers who are keeping tobacco products for sale with them near educational institution setups. This time, under the massive drive school principals will be given challans for collecting fines. Meeting regarding this will be conducted soon. By March 2017, we will clear all such shops set within the prescribed radius of campus premises selling intoxicating products,” added Kumar.
School principals will be made aware about the narcotics guidelines, various legal challenges, health issues in the meeting to combat this heinous activity stated Kumar. Recently, Director, Secondary Education, Manish Ranjan issued a communiqué stating that sale of intoxicating products must be immediately banned within the set radius of schools and colleges. Penalty of Rs 200 on a person will be imposed immediately for infringing the guidelines, the letter stated.
According to Section 6 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 (COTPA), sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products within a 100-yard radius of educational institutions is illegal. Similarly, the State’s Excise Department bans the sale of liquor within a radius of 100 meters from educational institutions.
In addition, the amended Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act imposes stringent penalty for all those shopkeepers selling cigarettes, beedi and chewable tobacco to minors. Under the provisions of clause 77 and 78 of the JJ (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, a jail term of seven years and a fine of Rs. 1 lakh provisions have been made for those violating the norms.
Earlier neither the school management nor district administration was following the ban orders that were enforced by the central government after a Supreme Court order in 2001 as a result sale of tobacco products is on rise and the intoxicating products are recklessly being sold out to youngsters breaching the set guidelines.