JORHAT, April 28 � The Jorhat District Tobacco Control Cell and Jorhat Police carried out a checking along the busy AT Road and Gar Ali and penalised as many as 15 persons under Section 4 and Section 6 of the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COPTA), 2003.
Dr Bhaktimaya Bhattacharyya, nodal officer of DTCC, Jorhat, told this correspondent that the DTCC has been keeping an eye to make Jorhat district smoke-free and launched such checking drives to stop tobacco usage.
Section 4 of COPTA bans smoking in all public places. On the other hand, Section 6 (a) prohibits sale of tobacco to minors and Section 6 (b) prohibits sale of tobacco products near educational institutions.
Dr Bhattacharyya further informed that they charged a penalty by imposing fines on the wrongdoers. �We carry out this type of checking once in a month at any place of the district at random,� said Bhattacharyya. �It was the second time that we conducted it today.�
