Srinagar, May 27: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has ordered the constitution of an Empowered Committee for implementation of Article 5.3 of WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Policy in the Union Territory of J&K.
The General Administration Department Monday issued an order for constitution of the Empowered Committee for implementation of Article 5.3 of WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Policy along-with ensuring proper compliance with the protocol & procedure to deal and engage with the tobacco industry or its representatives, in J&K.
The order said that the committee has been tasked to ensure proper compliance with the proposed protocol and procedure to deal and engage with the tobacco industry or its representatives.
“It will upload representation and proceedings of the meeting on the official website of Health & Medical Education Department, J&K for information of all stakeholders and the general public,” the order said.
It said the Administrative Secretary (Health)/Mission Director NHM/Director Health Services, Jammu/Kashmir shall be a special designated officer(s) to receive any representation from the tobacco industry or its representatives and decide whether they are required to be dealt with or not.
“He shall also decide upon the date for meeting the tobacco industry representative(s), if required in consultation with other members,” the order said.
Article 5.3 of the FCTC requires all parties, when setting and implementing their public health policies with respect to tobacco control, to “… act to protect these policies from commercial and other vested interests of tobacco industry in accordance with national law”.
The purpose of these guidelines is to ensure that efforts to protect tobacco control from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry are comprehensive and effective.
The Committee would be headed by Administrative Secretary, Health & Medical Education Department, J&K as Chairman; Mission Director, N.H.M, J&K; Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration; Commissioner State Taxes, J&K; Director Health Services, Jammu/Kashmir; representative of Home Department (not below the rank of Additional Secretary); representative of Finance Department (not below the rank of Additional Secretary); representative of Housing and Urban 8 Development Department (not below the rank of Additional Secretary); representative of Department of Law, Justice and 9 Parliamentary Affairs (not below the rank of Additional Secretary); representative of Industries & Commerce Department (not below the rank of Additional Secretary) as members and Nodal Officer, National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP), Jammu and Kashmir as member secretary.
