Sale of tobacco products continues unabated near educational institutions in the twin cities of Hubli-Dharwad despite a ban.
The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) - 2003, which is in force since 2004, completely prohibits the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products within a radius of 100 yards of educational institutions.
When Express investigated, it was found that there are hundreds of shops selling tobacco products near educational institutions. One can find several shops selling tobacco products on the stretch between BV Bhoomaraddi College of Engineering and Technology (BVBCET) and Old Hubli. On Gokul Road, there is a bar located just a few metres away from a college.
When contacted, BVBCET principal Ashok Shettar said that the HDMC and the police must take up eviction drives and expressed his helplessness in stopping the sale of tobacco products in the vicinity of his campus. When asked, HDMC special officer H S Naregal pointed at the practical problems in enforcing the ban. “Several shops existed much before the ban came into force. Apart from this, several small educational institutions have sprung up at the residential localities.”