Colleges handed challan books to curb smoking

GREATER NOIDA: The district tobacco cell has given 40 educational institutes in Knowledge Park area challan books bearing a registration from the health ministry to fine students found smoking cigarettes or chewing tobacco on the campus.

The move is part of a campaign to make the area tobacco-free. The administration has decided to declare Knowledge Park, where several educational institutes are located, tobacco-free by May 31.

In a meeting with the authorities on Wednesday, representatives of 40 educational institutes in the area were directed to take action against violators under provisions of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003.

The Act makes it mandatory to levy fines for smoking in a public place, for selling tobacco products to minors, or selling such items within a radius of 100 metres from any educational institution.

If any stall is found selling tobacco outside a college campus, the officials have been directed to inform the district tobacco cell, local SHO or the city magistrate. Sources said helpline numbers of the district tobacco cell had been shared with the educational institutes for reporting any kind of violation. The numbers are 8860067469 and a toll-free number of the state tobacco control, 1800110456.

Officials of the district tobacco cell told TOI that though invitations had been handed out physically to all 70 institutes in the area, 30 of them did not appear for the meeting.

Shweta Khurana, consultant at the district tobacco cell, said: “Representatives from 30 educational institutes in the area did not turn up despite invitations.”

In keeping with sections 4 and 6 of the Act, the institutes have also been asked to put up warning signs reading ‘sale of tobacco within 100 yards of the institute is banned’ on the campus.

At the meeting, district magistrate BN Singh told representatives of the educational institutes that if the colleges failed to put up warning signs on each of the floors, action would be taken against them in the form of challans.

Officials said random checks would be held on the campuses to find out if the institutes are violating rules and action would be taken against the head of the facilities in case cigarette butts are found on the premises.

The colleges that did not turn up for the meeting claimed they had not received any invitation.