Central Coalfields top brass, doctors, dignitaries and children announce CCL's new mantra, "Catch them young for a tobacco free youth", on Thursday in Ranchi ahead of World No Tobacco Day on May 31.

The Coal India subsidiary declared it would set an example for the corporate world by initiating a relentless drive against tobacco use among children between 6 and 12 at all 14 DAV Schools in Jharkhand. "Through documentary films, posters, pamphlets specifying do's and don'ts, CCL would undertake anti-tobacco campaigns, particularly among children, in a continuous process rather than once a year," Gopal Singh, the CMD of CCL, told a packed audience at Vichar Manch.

The programme, partnered by CCL and powered by The Telegraph, was supported by Bhagwan Mahavir Medica Superspeciality Hospital and Maa Ram Pyari Hospital, Ranchi, with Edutech Classes as knowledge partner.

Among the others who attended were the vice chairman of Medica Hospital, Dr Sanjay Kumar; the director and cardiologist of Medica Institute of Cardiac Sciences, Dr Deepak Gupta and CCL directors Deepak Ghosh (finance) & R.S.Mahapatra (personnel).

Picture by Hardeep Singh