Central funds to fight tobacco use lying idle in Tamil Nadu
By Express News Service | Published: 01st April 2018 02:34 AM |
Last Updated: 01st April 2018 02:34 AM | A+A A- |
There has been criticism against the State for doing almost nothing to control availability of tobacco products near schools and also to sensitise schoolchildren. (File | AP)
CHENNAI: Funds allocated under the National Tobacco Control Programme for Tamil Nadu has been lying idle, with the State spending only Rs 13.93 lakh out of the Rs 2.58 crore set apart for 2016-2017 financial year, a Union government report said.
The report showed that the State government had Rs 3.11 crore in total for 2016-2017 fiscal, including the previous year’s carryover funds allocated for State National Tobacco Control Programme by the Union Health Ministry for the year.
For the District Tobacco Control Cell (DTCC), the State used only Rs 6 lakh of the allocated Rs 1.95 crore. For sensitisation programme, out of the Rs 25 lakh provided, it spent only Rs 49,000. No money was spent for training of health professionals and orientation for law enforcers. For development of posters, only Rs 4.48 lakh of the Rs 35 lakh was spent.
There has been criticism against the State for doing almost nothing to control availability of tobacco products near schools and also to sensitise schoolchildren. Shockingly, the report said the State spent nothing on the school programme.
The figures also showed that though Rs 35 lakh was allocated, the State spend nothing.
Many studies have showed that oral cancer is one of the major death causing disease.
“This is proof that the State is doing almost nothing to control the use of tobacco products. Also, direct advertisements are being made by tobacco companies, but no action is taken against them,” said S Cyril
Alexander, State convener of the Tamil Nadu People’s Forum for Tobacco Control.
“We would have spent the amount, but sometimes might have missed to upload the expenditure in the system. Immediately after the funds are released, we will feed it in the online application. But people might have missed out to upload the expenditure,” a senior health department official said.
No money spent for training purposes
For the District Tobacco Control Cell (DTCC), the State used only Rs 6 lakh of the allocated Rs 1.95 crore. For sensitisation programme, out of the Rs 25 lakh provided, it spent only Rs 49,000. No money was spent for training of health professionals and orientation for law enforcers. For development of posters, stickers and handouts, the state spent only Rs 4.48 lakh of the Rs 35 lakh allocated
