Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) Thursday directed the Additional Director General (ADG) of police, who had also served as its director of Investigations, to conduct random checks at various places in the City over the allegations regarding illegal sale of tobacco products despite the ban imposed by state government.
The commission has asked the ADG to submit a report in this regard by October 11, 2019.
The rights panel issued the order while hearing a complaint lodged by Basudev Bhatt, president of Odisha Parents’ Forum in August. The forum in its application drew the attention of the commission towards the rampant sale and the consumption of tobacco products like gutkha and paan masala. The forum cited the notification issued by the state Health and Family Welfare department June 11 for effective implementation of the Section 6 of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA Act, 2003) that strictly prohibits ‘sale of cigarettes or other tobacco products to a person below the age of 18 years’ and in particular places like an area within a radius of one 100 yards of any educational institutions’.
The department had earlier issued a notification in 2013 banning manufacture, storage, sale and distribution of gutkha and paan masala containing tobacco or nicotine as ingredients by whatsoever name available in the market in the state.
The parents’ body had also submitted memorandums to Odisha DGP BK Sharma in this regard August 19 this year.