Nawanshahr - A meeting of the District Task Force under the National Tobacco Control Program was held on Tuesday at the District Administrative Complex, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar under the chairmanship of Additional Deputy Commissioner (J) Mr. Rajiv Verma. In this meeting, Civil Surgeon Dr. Jaspreet Kaur, District Nodal Officer Dr. Renu Mittal along with all District Program Officers and representatives of various supporting departments were present.
On this occasion, Additional Deputy Commissioner (R) Mr. Rajeev Verma, emphasizing the need to save the young generation from the bad and deadly habit of tobacco, while issuing instructions to the members of the District Task Force, said that under the National Tobacco Control Program, Kotpa Act should be effectively implemented in the district. Active participation of all partner departments in this work is essential.
He instructed that continuous checking should be done in public places by forming joint teams of partner departments including the health department And if anyone is found violating the Kotpa Act Then appropriate action should be taken against him. He said that we should all work together to make Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar a tobacco-free district. Mr. Rajiv Verma instructed the Health Department to start an intensive awareness campaign in urban and rural areas to make people aware of the negative effects of tobacco use. More and more challans should be issued against the violators of Kotpa Act.
The Additional Deputy Commissioner (J) directed the Municipal Council Department to issue as many challans as possible to those violating the Kotpa Act in urban areas. And it should be ensured that the shops/vendors selling tobacco products within their area should put up a board stating that it is a legal offense to sell tobacco products to a person below the age of 18 years. Civil Surgeon Dr. Jaspreet Kaur informed the Additional Deputy Commissioner (J) Mr. Rajeev Verma that the Health Department is making all possible efforts to effectively implement the Kotpa Act in the district.
He also appealed to all the partner departments to play their active participation in it. On this occasion, SDM Balachor Ravinder Bansal, SDM Nawanshahr Dr. Aksita Gupta, Good Governance Fellow Asmita, District Health Officer Dr. Renu Mittal, District Immunization Officer Dr. Mandeep Kamal, Deputy Medical Commissioner Dr. Harpreet Singh, Senior Medical Officer Dr. Ravinder Singh, Dr. Gitanjali Singh, Dr. Sonia, Dr. Gurinderjit Singh, Dr. Kulwinder Mann, Dr. Jaswinder Singh, Dr. Sarbrinder Singh Sethi, District Epidemiologist Dr. Rakesh Pal, District Epidemiologist Shyamadeva, Dr. Gurpal Kataria, District Education and Information Group Afshar Daljit Singh, Block Extension Educator Other officials and employees of the health department including Vikas Virdi were present.