Mokokchung, September 7 (DIPR): Members of Mokokchung District Planning and Development Board were sensitized on the implementation and enforcement of Cigarette and Other Tobacco Product (COTPA) 2003 during the meeting of the monthly DPDB meeting held in the ADC Planning conference hall on September 7. The meeting was chaired by DC &Mokokchung DPDB Vice Chairman Sushil Kumar Patel.
Dr. Moa from Imkongliba Memorial District Hospital, Mokokchung, who is also the Member Secretary of the District Level Coordination Committee & District Nodal Officer of COTPA, presented a Power Point presentation on the implementation and enforcement of the Act as part of the sensitization programme. He dwelt at length on ill effects of consuming tobacco in any form and places where smoking or consuming tobacco in any form was prohibited.
Appealing to all the DPDB members to be an agent towards implementation of the Act Dr. Moa expressed serious concern over high consumption of tobacco in Nagaland state. He said 8 to 9 lakh Indians die every day due to tobacco related diseases of which 70% are between the age of 30 to 69 years.
Dr. Moa regretted that Mokokchung district could not fully implement the Act due to lack of fund from the government. A Statutory Bills displaying “No Smoking Area: Smoking here is an Offence” were distributed to all the DPDB members asking them to display it in their respective Offices.
DC & Vice Chairman Mokokchung DPDB, Sushi Kumar Patel called upon the members to actively involved in the implementation of the Act and reiterated all the members to display the Bills in the their respective offices in a noticeable area to create awareness on ill effects of smoking.
Founder Director, Farm2 Food Foundation, Assam, Samir Bordolai who has been working in promoting famers in the North East presented a Power point in the meeting. D.C & Vice Chairman Sushil Kumar Patel who invited Samir to attend the meeting expressed gratitude for his endeavour to promote farmers engaged in cultivation of varieties of crops in the region. Patel hoped that ATMA Mokokchung and Farm2 Food Foundation, Assam would immensely help promote local farmers in the district.
Earlier the DC welcomed the officers including New SDPO Mokokchung, Swarnambika, who were recently transferred to Mokokchung to the meeting.
