Chandigarh: Punjab Government has constituted a state level coordination committee under the chairpersonship of chief secretary for the overall implementation of National Tobacco Programme and Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products Act including section 5& 7 in the state.

Disclosing this here today Punjab Government Spokesperson said that committee includes Principal Secretary Health & Family Welfare or MD NHRM as Member secretary and Principal Secretary Home, School/Higher Education, Finance or their nominees as members.

Committee also includes Secretary labour/ labour commissioner, Secretary Transport/ Transport Commissioner, Secretary Information & Public Relations, Secretary Law and Secretary Panchayati Raj or their nominees as members and Ms. Bhavna Mukhopadhyay, Executive Director Voluntary Health Association of India and Divisional Manager Railway (Ambala Cant & Ferozpur) are also made members of this committee.  Mr. Varun Roojam (IAS) & Mr. Amit Dhaka (IAS) have also been included in the committee and would represent district administration in implementation of COPTA. 

Spokesperson said that this committee would have meetings to review the steps being taken to implement COPTA in the state. He further said that all members have been assigned specific roles to implement COPTA and their progress report would be reviewed during the meetings of the state level committee.