FDA drive fruitless without police

The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) staff faced problems on Monday in penalising the violators on day one of the week-long special drive in absence of policemen.

The drive has been kicked off in the district for the implementation of the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003, under which those found smoking in public places and selling cigarette or tobacco products to those below 18 years would be penalised.

Moreover, vendors selling such items within 100 yards of educational institutions would also be fined.

The FDA officials faced resistance from violators who refused to pay fines.

A four-member team of FDA caught six people, including three foreigners, smoking cigarette on the premises of the Shivajinagar ST stand. The DNA team was present at the ST Stand.

While asking them to pay Rs200 each, they refused on one or the other pretext.

A smoker, who had come from a village to meet his relative in the city went away without paying the fine.

When the team confronted the three foreigners, who were smoking at the ST Stand, they said they arrived in India recently and were not apprised of the rules.

“Where are the display boards cautioning people not to smoke in public places,” they asked the FDA team.

The FDA officials tried to realise the fine in vain.

Some staff of the FDA admitted that without the police, it would be a tough task to penalise violators. “We cannot force them to pay the fines,” said FDA sources.

FDA (Pune division) joint commissioner Sanjay Patil told DNA, “Most of the time people are unwilling pay the fine. If the police accompany us while conducting raid, it will definitely get positive results in terms of fine collection,” he added.

According to Patil, the FDA is in touch with the city police and have requested them to accompany the FDA teams during the raids at different places.