NOIDA: The head of a school or a college will be held accountable if any sale of
tobacco or its related products takes place within 100 metre radius of its premises, district magistrate B N Singh said on Thursday. The school will also lose its board affiliation if any tobacco item is sold in its vicinity, he warned.
Some
principals TOI spoke to did not oppose the DM’s statement but wondered how they would exercise any control on an activity that takes place outside their premises.
According to the district magistrate, sections 4 and 6 of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003, strictly prohibit the sale of tobacco products within a radius of 100 metres of any educational institution. “Heads of
schools or colleges will now be responsible for any violation. We will take action against the institution heads. We will also recommend for cancellation of affiliation to the respective boards for failing to comply with the rules,” he said.
The DM has also written a letter to the basic education officer to conduct periodic inspections of schools and colleges to ensure enforcement of law. The management of schools and colleges in Noida and Greater Noida said they support the move but there has to be a multi-pronged effort to stop things like sale of tobacco near an educational institution.
Rajeev Agrawal, director of GL Bajaj Institute of Technology and Management, Greater Noida, said the academic institutions can play a role of watchman and inform the district administration. “Instead the school and college management do not have the authority for a crackdown. The administration should also issue a helpline number which can be contacted to share information about such cases,” he said.
“It should be the joint responsibility of all the stakeholders — schools, colleges, district administration, police — to ensure no tobacco products are sold outside the academic institutions. We have been ensuring this and we will comply with the fresh guidelines,” said Asha Prabhakar, principal of Bal Bharti Public School, Noida.
Aparajita Dasgupta, director of Brahmananda Public School in Noida’s Sector 20, said, “I support the district administration’s move. Our school management has already placed some boards outside the campus informing that sale of tobacco products in 100 metre area is a punishable offence.”
Several small shops have also come up over a period of time in Greater Noida’s Knowledge Park. These shops target college-going students and sell cigarettes and tobacco products to them. However, it becomes difficult for a crackdown as the vendors do not make a permanent structure. “They usually set up a canopy and bring tobacco products in a small bag and swiftly wrap up and flee once officials come for inspection,” said a college head.
