Jaipur: Raising concerns over children’s safety and exposure to tobacco products, Sanyukt Abhibhavak Sangh Friday questioned the state govt’s failure to enforce restrictions on the sale of tobacco products near schools.The association demanded special inspection drives around govt and private schools, pointing out that the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, prohibits the sale of tobacco products within 100 metres of educational institutions. Despite the restriction, gutka, bidis and cigarettes continue to be sold at paan shops and roadside stalls near schools, it alleged.State spokesperson of the association, Abhishek Jain Bittu, said availability of tobacco products near schools, along with incidents of violence, harassment and mental distress involving students, raised serious questions about the safety measures in educational institutions.The association’s state president, Arvind Agrawal, referred to the death of nine-year-old Amayra at Neerja Modi School, saying that ordering an inquiry into such incidents was not enough and accountability needed to be fixed.The association also called for stricter enforcement of the ban on e-cigarettes and demanded CCTV surveillance, secure entry and exit points, trained security staff, GPS-enabled school buses and functional child protection committees. It said school managements should be held accountable for lapses in student safety.
