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| XISS students take a smoke break on Thursday outside their college where cigarettes are readily available at makeshift stalls, while small-time trader Ghanshyam does brisk tobacco business on RU’s Morabadi campus. (Hardeep Singh) |
There can’t be a more glaring contrast than this. A person walks out of Ranchi sadar hospital’s TB ward, lights up a cigarette at a shop 20 steps away, near the main gate, and after few pleasure puffs heads back to the government heal hub.
Section 6(b) of the national anti-tobacco law of 2003 and the Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places Rules, 2008, ban sale and consumption of tobacco products within 100 yards of hospitals, educational institutions and other public buildings. But one doesn’t need a newspaper report to know that the law is more violated than implemented in the capital.
Ironically, makeshift cigarette stalls swamp the area near the special ward that is meant to cure patients suffering from tuberculosis, a disease mainly caused by excessive consumption of tobacco that contains nicotine.
The state-run hospital isn’t the only place where the ban goes up in smoke. Half a dozen of its neighbours on Purulia Road, including St Xavier’s College and XISS, also blatantly abuse the law. A notice at the entrance of St Xavier’s announces the campus is a no-smoking zone, but business is brisk right outside the gate, courtesy students and others.
Ranchi University (RU) is another prime violator of the law. Tobacco shops do business right inside its sprawling Morabadi premises, where students, faculty members and visitors smoke freely at any given point of time.
The onus of implementing the anti-tobacco act, which came into effect in 2008, lies on the health department. The civil surgeon is the sole authority in the district wing.
When confronted, Ranchi civil surgeon A.K. Choudhary initially expressed ignorance about cigarette shops outside sadar hospital. Thereafter, he said that being a non-smoker he never noticed them. Categorically told that the shops were by the main gate, which is within the non-permissible 100-yard limit, he added: “I have to first go through the provisions of the (anti-tobacco) law and then act accordingly.”
Authorities at St Xavier’s College maintained that the institution was only concerned with “activities inside the campus” and enforcing any law outside was the district administration’s job.
Caught taking a puff at Ranchi College, third-year BSc student Rajeev Kumar rued that there were no smoking zones demarcated on the premises. “Technically, every public place should have a smoking chamber. Besides, to stop students from enjoying a puff, the university should first ensure no shops on campus,” he said.
Ghanshyam, an elderly shopkeeper on RU campus, contended that business was brisk on the varsity campus. “We set up shops because business is good here. Otherwise we would have moved out. Why are the poor always the targets? Either the government should demarcate special areas for vendors like us or allow us to do business as usual,” he said.
Pro-vice chancellor V.P. Sharan, who also handles media relations, remained incommunicado. Newly appointed vice chancellor L.N. Bhagat refrained from commenting on the matter, saying he was only a day old in office.
The police remained equally nonchalant. “Frankly speaking, we don’t have any plan to restrain such activities (smoking in public and shops violating the law). We are already overburdened with other cases,” city SP R.K. Prasad said.
Will separate smoke zones stop violation of anti-tobacco law?
Tell ttkhand@abpmail.com
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