MARGAO: South Goa Collector has called a meeting of all COTPA Act stakeholders and enforcement authorities in view of the problems with enforcement of Sec and 5 and 7 of COTPA Act. The committee will observe strict enforcement from November 15 to January 15 and will meet for subsequent review.
This came after Tobacco Institute served notices to the Collector North and South regarding open advertisements of tobacco products, use of cigarettes and also regarding the illicit trade of contraband cigarettes. The institute has even given names of the traders involved in the contraband cigarettes trade, which has left the entire district administration red-faced.
The meeting was attended by the airport management, education dept, NGO GOACAN, police, railway police, sales tax, excise and other relevant agencies monitoring supervision of tobacco control program and to implement COTPA.
The meeting revealed that there has been lot of foreign cigarettes coming into the Goa markets and are in a contravention of COTPA, as well as the packaging rules.
We need the engagement of all concerned department and to coordinate within them to stop the violations. All along the coastal belt there are foreign cigarettes sold without health warnings. This has to stop somewhere, the meeting coordinator informed.
