Shops selling tobacco products require exclusive trade license: Health Dept.
Shops selling cigarettes, beedis and gutka in Mysuru have been warned of a penalty of ₹5,000 if they do not possess an exclusive trade license for selling tobacco products.
District Surveillance Officer, Department of Health and Family Welfare, D.G. Nagaraj, who also heads the District Tobacco Control Cell, told The Hindu that an awareness campaign on the need for an exclusive tobacco vendors' license to sell tobacco products is under way as part of the ongoing Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) 2003 compliance drive in Mysuru.
'We are educating and creating awareness for now. We will soon start penalising shops if they do not possess a separate trade license required for selling tobacco products,' he warned.
Though directions have been issued under the Karnataka Municipalities (Regulation and Inspection of Places used for Sale of Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products) Model bye-laws 2020 to issue separate business licenses for sale of tobacco products, the Directorate of Municipal Administration had, in January 2025, taken serious note of the matter and directed the urban local bodies to issue such licenses under the Vyapar online software platform.
Sale of loose beedis, cigarettes prohibited
The District Surveillance Office has also informed that the loose sale of beedis and cigarettes is prohibited under the law and offenders will be liable for penalty.
Meanwhile, the District Tobacco Control Cell has launched an 18-day-long special drive for implementation of COTPA rules in all the 18 police stations of Mysuru city from May 5.
Six police stations, viz. Narasimharaja, Mandi Mohalla, V V Puram, Metagalli, Jayalakshmipuram, and Vijaynagar police stations had been covered till May 13. A total of 387 cases had been booked, including 101 in V.V. Puram police station limits alone, and a total of ₹43,900 penalty had been collected during the last six days of the drive.
A majority of the fine was collected for violation of Section 4 of COTPA 2003, which dealt with the prohibition of smoking in public places, including bus stands, parks, hotels, restaurants, bakeries, shops, commercial establishments, cinema theatres, government offices, and private office premises. The responsibility of the enforcement lies on the owners of the premises and violation can lead to a fine upto ₹2,000, said a statement.
Apart from booking the offenders for violation of various provisions of COTPA, Mr. Nagaraj said the Tobacco Control Cell officials also imposed penalty on shops selling imported and smuggled cigarettes during the drive.
Consultant of Mysuru District Tobacco Control Cell Shivakumar and officials from the Department of Health, Education, Police, and Mysuru City Corporation are participating in the drive, which is expected to continue till May 28.
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