31 cases booked, Rs. 4,200 fine collected

Mysuru: In a move to curb tobacco menace in public places, the officials of the District Health and Family Welfare Department, District Surveillance Office and District Tobacco Control Cell (DTCC), with the help of Jayalakshmipuram Police, raided shops which were selling tobacco products illegally by violating Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) rules in the surroundings of Mahajana College and Kalidasa road and have booked 31 cases besides collecting a total of Rs. 4,200 from the violators yesterday, said District Surveillance and Programme Officer Dr. Shivaprasad.   

Till now, the Health Department has booked a total of 2,781 cases and have collected a total fine of Rs. 4,24,200 from the violators. The officials said that the raids would continue in the district and violators of the Act would be penalised. District Tobacco Control Board District Advisor Shivakumar, Social Activist Navidulla Shariff, Jitin Chandran, Maya, Jayalakshmipuram Police and others were present.