By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter
Srinagar: Demanding strict implementation of ban on display of tobacco advertisements at the point of sale, Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI) on Thursday asked the Jammu and Kashmir Police to take strict action against those involved in violation of the ban.
The Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Srinagar had issued an order in February this year in compliance with Section 5 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act (COTPA), 2003, directing the senior officials in the police department to remove all the illegal tobacco advertisements at points of sale in the Srinagar, Budgam, Ganderbal, Leh and Kargil districts of J&K, within fifteen days of the issuance of the order.
The order also directed the officials to take necessary legal action in the matter as per the relevant legal provisions against the distributors of tobacco products who are involved in distributing the advertisements among the retailers.
Interestingly, the copy of the order was also marked to Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Zone including SSP Budgam, SP Leh, SP Ganderbal and SP Kargil for similar necessary action in their respective jurisdictions.
“However, despite the order, the tobacco advertisements are still being displayed rampantly at point of sale across Srinagar and no action has been taken yet in removing these advertisement boards. This order needs to be implemented and fully complied in five districts of Kashmir region,” said VHAI spokesperson, Shafat Kira.
Notably, the Supreme Court has already issued directions to all the State Governments to rigorously implement the rules restricting tobacco advertisements at the Point of Sale.
Complying with the Supreme Court directions the district administration of Anantnag has already initiated a drive against display of tobacco advertisements at point of sale promoting cigarette and other tobacco products in the main towns across many districts in South Kashmir.
The VHA spokesperson while terming the hike on excise duty on tobacco products in the annual budget presented by the Union Finance Minister on March 1, 2016 as ‘meagre’, which is benefitting the tobacco industry, he said, “There was a meagre 10%-15% hike on excise duty on chewing tobacco products. In fact, this time around, there is zero change in the Basic Excise Duty component and the change as proposed is effected only on the Additional Excise Duty, also known as Health Cess. There has been no proposal to simplify the complex cigarette tax structure that is only helping the industry in India. And by not making any increases on bidi taxes, the government is forgoing a wonderful opportunity to help the cause of public health in the country,” Kira said.
“While pegging the GDP growth at 7% to 7.75% in its economic survey, affecting a mere tax increase of 10% on cigarettes is tantamount to making tobacco products more affordable. The public health community in India has never seen a budget this bad for tobacco control in the past five years. The FM seems to have provided a panacea for increasing tobacco industry’s profits. The proposals in the budget are a one-shot prescription to make tobacco products more affordable and boost the industry profits. Tobacco industry will be upbeat about the new budget that was presented in the parliament today,” the spokesperson added.