Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has issued a new directive mandating that penalties collected under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) 2003 be used exclusively for tobacco control initiatives across districts.
According to the circular, up to 70% of the penalty amount collected under COTPA should be utilized for tobacco control and de-addiction services at the district level. The government has emphasized that district tobacco control cells must develop annual action plans to effectively utilize these funds based on collections from the previous financial year.
Funds to Be Used for De-Addiction, Training, and Awareness
The guidelines specify that the penalty amount should be channelled into district-level programmes such as public awareness drives, community campaigns, and de-addiction support.
Each district can use:
- ₹16,000 per workshop or training session for health workers and enforcement staff.
- ₹10,000 per year to support Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions (TFEI) guidelines through school health programmes.
- ₹10,000 annually for conducting tobacco-free village awareness programmes at the panchayat level.
- ₹15,000 per year for Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) activities on tobacco control and public health awareness.
Spending Above ₹1 Lakh Needs State Approval
The government has clarified that if the total annual expenditure exceeds ₹1 lakh, prior approval must be obtained from the Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare Services before utilization.
Officials say this system will ensure that the funds collected from tobacco law enforcement are transparently reinvested into public health programmes rather than diverted to general expenditure.
Government Push for Stronger Anti-Tobacco Measures
The move comes amid concerns over rising tobacco use in Karnataka, particularly among youth. Officials in the Health Department said the new mechanism aims to strengthen field-level implementation of anti-tobacco activities, community outreach, and cessation support under the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP).
District health officers have also been instructed to organize training sessions for enforcement staff and ensure strict adherence to COTPA-2003 provisions to curb public smoking and sale of tobacco near educational institutions.
ಇದನ್ನೂ ಓದಿ: Fines collected under COTPA Act should be used only for tobacco control programs: ಕೋಟ್ಪಾ ಕಾಯ್ದೆ ಅಡಿ ಸಂಗ್ರಹವಾಗುವ ದಂಡದ ಮೊತ್ತವನ್ನು ತಂಬಾಕು ನಿಯಂತ್ರಣ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮಗಳಿಗಷ್ಟೇ ಬಳಸಬೇಕು: ಸರ್ಕಾರದ ಹೊಸ ಮಾರ್ಗಸೂಚಿ
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