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Members of civic groups and district administrations of Dimapur carried out raids on shops in the towns during separate occasions. They seized tobacco products and destroyed them, the organisations informed.[/caption]
Dimapur, July 2 (EMN): Personnel of the Dimapur district anti-tobacco squad and the Dimapur Naga Students’ Union (DNSU) are said to have “busted” shops in the city that reportedly were selling tobacco and similar products.
A similar raid was reported by the government’s publicity agency, the department of Information and Public Relations (IPR).
The IPR reported that the local business chamber in Zunheboto, and the area’s administrative units raided shops for said products.
The Dimapur students’ union issued a press release to the media on Tuesday informing about the raids, said to be the union’s ‘first phase of action.’
The seized tobacco products were burnt at the DMC’s landfill at Sunrise Colony at Burma Camp on July 2 in Dimapur, the union stated.
The two groups said to have seized the tobacco products based on “various complaints lodged by many concerned citizens.” The union asserted that the tobacco products that were destroyed were worth around two lakh.
Selling tobacco products to persons who are below the age of 18 years is strictly prohibited, and likewise for the sale of said products in places within 100 yards radius (300 feet) from the outer boundary of an educational institution, which includes schools, colleges, and institutions of higher learning.
T Tsenpemo Kikon, assistant commissioner of police, and team leader of the squad was stated to have expressed gratitude to the union for their service.
The squad and the union are urging citizens, community leaders in the villages and colonies to fully cooperate with the authorities in enforcing the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act.
Zunheboto
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Members of civic groups and district administrations of Zunheboto carried out raids on shops in the towns during separate occasions. They seized tobacco products and destroyed them, the organisations informed.[/caption]
Similarly, the IPR issued updates in its July 2 reports about the district administration in Zunheboto having conducted raids on shops in search of tobacco products.
The exercise is said to be a follow-up to the Zunheboto deputy commissioner’s order which forbids the sale of “gutkha” products in the district from July 1.
The IPR stated that the Zunheboto Chamber of Commerce & Industries (ZCCI) carried out a “surprise checking” in different parts of the town. They are said to have taken in a large quantity of banned tobacco products.
The products were then burned ‘in front of the public,’ the IPR stated.
The raids were carried out by members of the ZCCI; students’ organisations; members of the Dobashi establishment, and police and district administration, the updates stated.
The ZCCI has warned that if violators are caught for the second time, the products will be destroyed while the person will be made to pay double the amount of the confiscated products.
‘If caught for the third time, the banned products will be destroyed and he/she will be handed over to the administration,’ the IPR’s updates stated.
The ZCCI has requested the public to cooperate as the enforcement is only for the wellbeing of the people of district, the IPR added.
