Amritsar to be Tobacco Free from August 15th 2012

Sree Amritsar Sahib to be Tobacco Free from August 15th 2012

Amritsar, Punjab: The Punjab government has given the go – ahead for declaring Amritsar and Rupnagar as ‘tobacco-free districts’ from August 15. The two districts will join Mansa and SAS Nagar, which have already been declared as ‘tobacco free’.

A meeting in this regard was chaired by ADC (general) Manpreet Singh Gulati in which heads of different government departments participated.

In the run-up to the official declaration on Independence Day, heads of all government departments have been instructed that by July 24 they should have boards put outside their respective offices, proclaiming Amritsar as a ‘tobacco-free district’.

Information on the boards should be sent to the office of the deputy commissioner in writing. Thereafter, a task force of the health department will tour every hotel, restaurant, shopping mall.

AKKAAAAAL

SAS Nagar is far from being tobacco free. The ground reality speaks very differently. There are tobacco shops everywhere.
Just passing instructions is one thing, strictly implementing/enforcing them is yet another.
So, I am not sure if this is just another publicity stunt by the government (as is the case 90% of the times).