DC Kathua: A meeting of the District Level Coordination Committee (DLCC) convened under the Chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner, Kathua Dr. Rakesh Minhas at the DC Office complex.
The primary agenda of the meeting was to assess the effective enforcement of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 (COTPA) and the implementation of the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) in Kathua district.
The meeting commenced with an insightful presentation by Divisional Coordinator Shiveta Raina, shedding light on the objectives and progress of the NTCP within Kathua.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Vijay Raina provided an overview of the roles and responsibilities of DLCC members under NTCP.
A key focus of the meeting was the discussion on “The Tobacco Free Village Campaign,” aiming to scrutinize villages with RDD department assistance and declare those meeting specific criteria as tobacco-free. To ensure accountability, Village Level Coordination Committees will be established, empowered to penalize violators within the designated tobacco-free villages.
The Deputy Commissioner directed BDO HQ Kathua for proper identification of villages to be declared tobacco-free across all revenue blocks, underscoring strict enforcement through the issuance of challan books to designated officers and rigorous penalties for violators.
To implement anti-tobacco measures in the school education department, emphasis was placed on aligning high schools and higher secondary institutions with NTCP objectives by May 15, utilizing the Tobacco Free Educational Institution (TFEI) app to track compliance and document anti-tobacco activities.
Stakeholders, including the police department, were tasked with providing weekly reports on enforcement activities to analyze the effectiveness of interventions. Additionally, ADCs and SDMs were instructed to maintain vigilance, particularly in identified hotspots, and impose penalties on offenders.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to adopting proactive measures to sensitize all segments of society, ensuring a tobacco-free environment for the well-being of the community.