Tobacco banned in UP offices

Shahira Naim

Tribune News Service

Lucknow, March 22

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today banned the use of gutkha, tobacco and paan masala  in government offices with immediate effect. 

The order was issued after his first visit to the secretariat. Livid at the sight of betel juice stained-walls of the building that houses the CM’s office, Yogi banned the use of paan and tobacco products in schools, colleges, hospitals and other government buildings. He also prohibited the use of plastic. 

He reportedly gave a piece of his mind to officials there, asking them to stop chewing paan and paan masala while on duty. Playing down the issue, Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya, who had accompanied the CM to the secretariat, said the CM had only “advised” that paan masala and tobacco must not be consumed in government offices. 

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“The Chief Minister visited all floors of the annexe building and met officials posted there. After detecting betel stains on walls, he asked the  employees not to consume paan or paan masala during duty hours and ensure cleanliness,” Maurya said.

A stickler for cleanliness, the 44-year-old CM had administered a sanitation pledge to officials a day after he took over as CM and asked them to ensure that the pledge was effectively implemented on the lines of the Swachh Bharat Mission.

Also, in keeping with the BJP manifesto, Yogi today directed police officials to prepare an action plan for the closure of slaughter houses across the state. Official sources did not specify the type of slaughter houses which would be shut. The BJP manifesto had said there would be a blanket ban on all mechanised slaughter houses.

3 meat shops set on fire

Meanwhile, three shops in Hathras selling mutton and fish were burnt down by unknown miscreants on the intervening night of March 21-22 soon after the police raided the local meat market in Sahabad and Sahpau to check if the meat shops had the requisite licence from the civic body.

Superintendent of Police Dilip Kumar said a case had been registered. He claimed that there were no witness to the vandalism. One of the shop owners, Shakeel, complained that the environment had turned hostile in the recent days and it had become near impossible to carry on with the business.

“The shop, which was 10 years old, was my only source of income,” he said. Soon after he become CM, Adityanath warned the police of dire consequences, if illegal meat shops and slaughter houses continued to function.