Sambalpur, Jan. 18: The sale of gutkha and tobacco products near educational institutions continues unabated in the town despite frequent police crackdowns.

Shopkeepers near the educational institutes in the town stopped selling tobacco products for the first few days after the police conducted raids on various shops on January 9. However, many of them have again started selling tobacco products just one week after the raids.

On January 9, the police raided shops at Ainthapali, Dhanuplai, Town and Khetrajpur police station areas and seized huge quantity of gutkha and other tobacco products. Some 55 shopkeepers were also fined for selling gutkha and other tobacco products.

Sub-divisional police officer B.G. Mohanty said: "We had warned the shopkeepers not to sale gutkha and tobacco products near the educational institutions. We will conduct more raids and slap fines on shopkeepers selling tobacco products near the school and colleges."

"Consumption of tobacco is harmful. It is also illegal to sell them to students and underage people. However, despite prohibition, some shops are selling gutkha and various other tobacco products near the educational intuitions," said lawyer and rights activist Debashis Mishra.

A senior police officer, however, said they would shortly raid the shops selling tobacco products again. "We will keep conducting raids in all areas of the city till the shops stop selling tobacco products near educational institutes," said a police officer.

While the police imposed fines on 20 shopkeepers in the Dhanupali police station areas, 18 vendors were slapped fine in Town police limits. Similarly, six persons were imposed fine in Khetrajpur police limits and 11 shopkeepers within Ainthapali police station jurisdiction were slapped with fine of Rs 200. However, according to the present scenario, the raids have failed to deter the shopkeepers from selling the products.