'No smoking' boards, thanks to this RTI hero

[Atul Patankar]

As reported at timesofindia.indiatimes.com on 23 Jun 2009

VADODARA: 'No smoking area' — if you see this board at government offices in Vadodara, Surat and Ahmedabad, thank the RTI applicant from a city-based NGO. His RTI seeking information from all government offices in 12 cities in the state on whether these offices have put up 'No smoking' in their office premises forced them to act.

RTI applicant Anant Christian of an NGO had filed the RTI application in November last year to know whether Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) notified by Government of India was being implemented in government offices.

"We conducted a survey across 12 cities in the state to know whether they had put up 'No smoking board' at their offices. What surprised us was that none of the offices had put up boards and so we decided to file an RTI," said Christian.

It was only after the RTI reached the government offices that officials sprang into action.

One saw 'No smoking' boards put up in premises in all the 12 cities where the RTI was sent. "Vadodara Municipal Corporation, Police Bhavan and District Panchayat including 12 taluka offices now have the boards as prescribed under COTPA," added Christian.
He is a member of Gujarat State Tobacco Control Steering Committee as well as Vadodara Tobacco Control Steering Committee.

The RTI impact was also seen in government offices in Rajkot, South Gujarat and Ahmedabad.

Christian now plans to send RTI to all schools and higher education institutes in the state including MS University.

"As per the rule, all educational institutes and schools should have No smoking area' boards. School principals can be penalised for not following the rule," he said.

Christian had also asked whether special smoking zones have been created in government offices.

"They stated that since none of their employees smoked therefore they didn't have a segregated smoking area. These officials were not aware that work places have been designated as public spaces and hence needs to have a segregated area," he said.

Source: 'No smoking' boards, thanks to this RTI hero - Rajkot - Cities - The Times of India

Similar Threads which you may be interested into:

• Question: Cantonment Boards
• for a true Hero
• Information: smoking ban
• Shrine boards, dargahs should provide employee details: CIC