It is official now. Bandra has the highest number of tobacco vendors near schools and colleges.
It is official now. Bandra has the highest number of tobacco vendors near schools and colleges. This is a clear violation of the anti-tobacco laws which state that such vendors should keep a distance of at least 100 m from any educational institution.
A week-long drive carried out by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), Maharashtra has revealed that as many as nine educational institutions in Bandra (East and West) have pan-bidi shops within a 100 sq metre area- a clear breach of anti-tobacco law.
Beginning January 10 up to January 16, the FDA officials carried out a massive state-wide drive to implement the anti-tobacco law.
“Our officials found that throughout the state as many as 1,343 shops were violating the anti-tobacco law which prevents selling of tobacco within 100 metres of the boundary of an educational institution. While the food inspectors in Mumbai found such shops breaking the law existed in as many as 30 places, most of them were in Bandra followed by Churchgate, Juhu, Mahim (four places each), Vile Parle (three places) and Andheri, Kurla as well Malad had one shop that was violating the law,” said Dilip Srirao, joint commissioner (vigilance), FDA.
According to assistant commissioner SS Deshmukh, the FDA has written to the principles of all the 30 educational institutions about their action. “We have appealed to the institution heads to take stern action, since the law also empowers them. We have also told them to approach FDA or even the police if they are unable to handle the situation on their own,” said Deshmukh.
On the other hand, during the week-long drive, FDA found 3,642 people consuming tobacco in some or the other form at public places throughout the state. The total amount of fine collected from these law-breakers amounted to Rs5,50,515.
“The maximum number of offenders were in the Mumbai region, where we fined 965 consumers of tobacco and collected a total of Rs2,13,000. Since the time the anti-tobacco law has been implemented in May 2004, we have collected fines of Rs12,07,685. Considering the maximum fine per case is Rs200, this fine is quite a bit,” said Kamlesh Sankhye, assistant commissioner, vigilance department of FDA.
According to senior officials of the administration, the drive was carried out in spite of the organisation being severely short staffed. “We had barely 8 inspectors carrying out the drive in Mumbai. There are 21 agencies that are powered to carry out the drive to implement the law. Even after this week long drive, we intend to carry out our crusade against the tobacco menace,” said a senior official.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}