MARGAO: The Goa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (GSCPCR) welcomed the decision of Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (KTCL) in accepting their recommendations to get the gutkha advertisements (ads) on KTCL buses removed.
KTCL has written to the advertising agency concerned, directing that the ads have to be taken down before July 20, for violating the agreement.
KTCL said that if the company fails to do so, then KTCL would take it down and recover the costs.
“The Commission expresses its profound appreciation to KTCL and the government for the order to ban surrogate advertisement of gutkha on KTCL buses, some of which ferries children to school,” said GSCPCR chairperson Peter F Borges.
“The collective call initiated by GSCPCR, District Tobacco Control Cell, National Tobacco Control Programme, Hospicio, North Goa District Magistrate and doctors engaged in anti-tobacco activities reflects the commitment of the stakeholders in addressing substance abuse. The nodal teachers of Prahari clubs from schools deserve the highest praise for arriving at consensus on the issue and highlighting it at one of the biggest forums, initiated by GSCPCR,” Borges added.
“Effective prevention strategies are critically important in community efforts to combat substance abuse. This will help a great deal in strengthening prevention as the impact of substance abuse often reaches beyond the abuser to family members, friends, co-workers, and society at large. GSCPCR reaffirms its determination to continue to discharge its role in this effort of strengthening prevention to curb substance abuse,” Borges stated.
Earlier, in the letter sent by KTCL General Manager (GM), Sanjay Ghate to the advertising agency, Ghate referred to the agreement with the company and provided a summary of their recent developments and the requests they received from the various authorities for removing the advertisement of gutkha being ‘surrogate’ advertisement.
Ghate also pointed out that Section 5 of COTPA Act 2003 prohibits direct and indirect advertisements of tobacco products.
“As per the record, it is found that you have displayed advertisement of gutkha on KTCL buses. I refer to Clause No 10 of the agreement and Clause No 12 of the tender document which read as, ‘The First Party shall disallow/discontinue the advertisement, if it contravenes any regulation of any authority (local or other authorities) or is repugnant to good morals or violates the provision of laws in Force. The second party shall obtain prior approval of the First Party for the material to be displayed’,” he said.
“In view of the above you are requested to remove gutkha advertisements display on KTCL buses before July 20, 2023 or else KTCL will remove the advertisements form the buses and the cost will be recovered,” Ghate added.
It may be recalled that GSCPCR conducted a meeting on April 20, with the stakeholders, on growing substance abuse among children. The surrogate advertisement of gutkha was taken up by chairperson and all the stakeholders resolved and passed the following recommendation towards a path to a drug-free Goa.
GSCPCR recommended a complete ban on surrogate advertising of gutkha on KTCL buses, as consumption of the same is being noticed among children and being found in schools too. Section 5 of COTPA Act 2003 prohibits direct and indirect advertisements of tobacco products. As a result, advertisements of surrogate products like gutkha are seen on the KTCL buses.
Thereafter, another joint meeting was called by the GSCPCR with the stakeholders involved in recommendation as well as implementation of the above said decision to brief KTCL about the severity of the issue with respect to children on June 5. KTCL was represented by the KTCL GM and the first assurance of issuing an order favourable to their demands was given then.
The issue was again raised by over 370 Nodal Teachers of Prahari Clubs, a club in school addressing substance abuse, on the sidelines of the State-level workshop conducted by GSCPCR on June 27, to mark International Day Against Drug Abuse. The teachers unanimously requested the commission to ban surrogate advertisement of gutkha on KTCL buses, some of which ferries children to school.
Borges had also written to the Chief Minister with these recommendations.
It was pointed out that the ban on the display of such products would reduce the disproportionate health and economic burden among the poor given that the use of such products is increasingly concentrated among the poor and other vulnerable groups; and how such a move would generate significant government revenues for health and development work.
