Amritsar, May 27

The Excise Department conducted raids at shops selling tobacco illegally in different parts of the city on Thursday. They penalised three shops under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA). Sharanjit Kaur Sidhu, Deputy Director health-cum-nodal officer of National Tobacco Control, said Adarsh Karyana store near Rattan Singh Chownk was found selling expired and banned tobacco products. She said many cigarette boxes did not carry pictorial warnings. So, the shopkeeper was charged Rs7,000 as fine.

Another kiosk near an educational institute in Ranjit Avenue was found selling tobacco. As per the COTPA, no tobacco shop can operate within a 100-metre radius of any educational institution. This third shop was raided at Ranjit Avenue’s C-block market.

She called upon shopkeepers to not sell tobacco products at their shops. — TNS