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| Offices turn 'safe haven' for smokers despite law | | Secretariat most affected, washrooms littered with cigarette butts | | Early Times Report
Jammu, July 28: Despite orders banning cigarette smoking in all government offices and appropriate penal action against the defaulters, most of the government offices in J&K have reportedly turned into a safe haven, including the Civil Secretariat.
The on-spot visit of various government offices in and outside the Secretariat revealed that Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) Act 2003 has just remained a toothless tiger, as officials and officers enjoy puffing during official timing.
In a latest circular (No: 06-GAD of 2018, dated: 15.02.2018), the government ordered strict enforcement of COPTA, but littered cigarette butts in and around government officers ridicule the circular itself. "In order to strictly enforce the provisions of the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 and Rules, thereof, instructions have been issued from time to time and all the concerned have been apprised about the penal actions attracted for violating the provisions of the Act," reads the circular, adding vide SRO 394 of 2008, dated 03.12.2008 powers have been delegated to the officers for compounding the offence under Section 4 of the Act.
Circular instructions have been issued vide circularNo.9-GADof 2010 dated 07.06.2010 and circular No.20-GAD of 2014 dated 04.04.2014, despite that instances of violation are being reported from the various quarters which has been viewed seriously by the authorities. The personal cabins of officers and common washrooms indicate the amount of puffing in the government offices. |
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