JKRTC faces heat over pan masala ads on its fleet

Srinagar, Jan 20: The Jammu and Kashmir Road Transport Corporation (JKRTC) is facing heat for featuring advertisements for various pan masala companies on its buses.

These ads, promoting tobacco products, directly violate the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COPTA-2003), the Municipal Corporation Act-2000, and the Government Advertisement Policy 2011.

The Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) issued a stern letter to the Manager, Transport of JKSRTC, emphasising the serious breaches of COTPA-2003.

“In connection to the subject captioned above, in this regard it has been observed that an advertisement of pan Masala (Vimal) on the Buses of JKRTC operational across the Srinagar city and other districts of Kashmir Division for promotional purposes of Vimal Pan Masala and Chaini Chaini which is brand promotions of Tobacco Product and is an indirect advertisement under section 05 of Cigarette and other tobacco products Act (COTPA-2003) ,” reads a letter issued by Chief Revenue Officer of SMC.

The JKRTC has been blamed for violation of section 85, 115 and 116 of Municipal Corporation Act-2000, and violation of government advertisement policy 2011, which prohibits any kind of advertisement, brand promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products.

As per the letter, the said advertisement glamorise and promotes the use of tobacco products among young generations which is badly affecting the public health initiatives of the government.

SMC has also asked JKRTC to take appropriate necessary action against the advertising agency and issue orders for removing, lifting of advertisements on JKSRTC buses immediately in order to curb the advertisement of banned products.

Dr Mir Mushtaq, State Nodal Officer, and National Tobacco Control Program (NTCP) who is also a Spokesperson at Directorate of Health Services Kashmir told Greater Kashmir that at Tobacco Control Cell “we keep watch on any direct or indirect violations of COTPA.”

“We had informed the concerned departments regarding the same, we had also taken up the matter with JKSRTC,” he said.

Dr Mushtaq appreciated the role played by SMC in this regard and hoped the violations of COTPA will be stopped.