The Hindu : New Delhi News : Court bans tobacco ads in Gujarat buses

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Sunday, Jan 02, 2011
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Court bans tobacco ads in Gujarat buses

Manas Dasgupta

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat High Court has directed the public transport services in the State not to display any advertisement of tobacco products.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice S.J. Mukhopadhyaya and Justice Akil Kureshi passed the directive on a public interest litigation petition.

The court directed that the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation, which operates buses all over the State and in some cities, and the Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service, which runs bus services here, to immediately stop displaying advertisements for cigarettes, ‘bidi,' ‘gutkha' and ‘paan masala.'

Petitioner Amarsinh Chaudhari said that though smoking was banned in many public places and restrictions were imposed on the sale of tobacco products, the public transport services continued displaying advertisements of tobacco products. This should be immediately banned since these products were detrimental to public health.

Accepting the plea, the bench issued the order stating that “gutkha, cigarettes and other injurious items like paan masala, if made from the prohibited items, shall not be displayed either by the AMTS or GSRTC.”

The GSRTC and the AMTS informed the court that the government transport services would not invite any tender for advertisement of tobacco products or accept any such ads.

Passing the order, the Bench said that on a special leave petition, which was pending, the Supreme Court passed an interim order prohibiting the sale of gutkha, tobacco and paan masala in plastic scathes in public interest.

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