Karnataka: Special licence will be applicable for sale of Tobacco products soon

Mangalore: For sale of tobacco products including cigarettes, Urban Development Department is making it compulsory for shops to obtain special license from their respective urban local bodies. “The problem is more acute with availability of such products near educational institutions,’’ an official said, adding, ‘’It is not possible for police to check each of these petty shops and bookcases under provisions of COTPA,’’ he added.

The Department will clench discussions with concerned departments before formulating necessary rules, U T Abdul Khader, Minister for Urban Development and Housing said. Presiding over his maiden quarterly 20-point Karnataka Development Programme review meeting, Khader, also district minister, said at present, “Tobacco products especially cigarette is freely available in petty shops and retail stores.’’

Khader, earlier in his stint as Minister for Health and Family Welfare had prohibited the loose sale of cigarettes. Shopkeepers were required to sell full packet of cigarettes. “The danger of free availability of tobacco can be restrained to a great extent, especially near educational institutions, which youth have easy access to’’, he said.“We never know if the cigarettes sold in loose is adulterated with any narcotic substance such as ganja after removing the original tobacco found in them,” he said. 

The mater came to the fore during a mooting on the action taken report of the previous KDP meeting held on November 30. Khader said such a step will ensure that shopkeepers are more sensible about the need to sell tobacco products under the ambit of COTPA.