Sunday, 01 May 2022 | PNS | Dehradun
Minister Rawat launches month long ‘Aao Gaon Chalen, Uttarakhand ko Tambaku Mukt Karen’ programme
The education and health minister, Dhan Singh Rawat started the month-long ‘ Aao Gaon Chalen, Uttarakhand ko Tambaku Mukt Karen’ programme here on Saturday. Under the programme task forces at state and district levels would be constituted. One of the highlights of the programme would be the mass pledge of making the state tobacco free by five lakh people in different parts of the state on the occasion of World Tobacco day on May 31. Speaking on the occasion, the minister said that a massive awareness campaign would be undertaken in the state in the month-long drive.
Seminars would be organised with the help of NGOs in the colleges, school, blocks, municipal corporations and district Panchayats. In these programmes the local public representatives, district level officers, MLAs and Member of Parliament (MPs) would take part. These seminars would be organised from May 10 to 20 and from May 20 to 30, registration of the people interested to take part in anti tobacco pledge would be done. The minister said that about 26.5 per cent people in the state consume tobacco while this percentage is at 28.6 per cent at national level. He suggested that two villages in every block should be selected initially for making the state tobacco free. Rawat added that an awareness drive should be undertaken to make the programme a success. Rajpur road MLA Khajan Das said that the programme undertaken under the National Tobacco control programme would help in disseminating knowledge about the ill effects of consuming tobacco.
The director general (DG) of State Health Services Dr Tripti Bahuguna, Vice Chancellor (VC) of Uttarakhand Open university OPS Negi, director of Health Dr Shailja Bhatt, director of National Health Mission (NHM) Dr Saroj Naithani, Dr Archana Pandey, Superintendent of Police (Law and Order) Police headquarters Pramod Kumar, Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) of all districts and others took part in the programme.
