Tobacco, paan masala also to be banned

By Radha Venkatesan

CHENNAI, AUG. 18. Besides a law on banning smoking in public places, the State government has decided to come out with a legislation on prohibiting chewing of tobacco, paan masala and gutka products.

Announcing this in the budget for 2001-2002, the Finance Minister, Mr. C. Ponnaiyan, today said that the incidence of mouth cancer due to the use of tobacco products was increasing. Also, there was an alarming rise in the incidence of submucous fibrosis because of chewing paan masala and gutka products.

The habit of chewing paan masala and gutka products was also increasing among school children, the Minister said.

In a slew of measures to increase infrastructure in Government Hospitals, the Government would ensure an uninterrupted power supply to all its hospitals through generators, and airconditioning facilities in all operations theatres in a phased manner. And, Rs. 1.32 crore would be allotted for providing generators in this financial year. Airconditioning of operation theatres of 20 headquarters hospitals would be taken up.

Primary health centres would be upgraded into mini-hospitals with 30 beds and specialist doctors. There would, at least, be one mini- hospital in every panchayat union.

Speciality health camps would be organised, for which Rs. 3.85 crore had been allotted.

The Government would establish a nursing college in every government medical college and would set up well-equipped accident trauma centres at appropriate locations, which would provide timely help to victims of road accidents.

As for improving infrastructure in schools, the Government would obtain Rs. 30 crores from the NABARD under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) during the current financial year.

The Governemnt has planned to introduce the Centre's Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan scheme on the lines of the District Primary Education Programme in the uncovered 22 districts.

A 10 per cent reservation in employment woule be provided in the uniformed services for national and international level sportspersons from the State, the Finance Minister announced.

The Government has also planned to implement an ambitious ``world beaters'' talent spotting scheme for identification of sporting talent early (class 6 to 8) and imparting them training.

The budget also had sops for the journalists in the form of increase in assistance under the Journalist Family Fund Scheme from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 2 lakhs, increase in pension for accredited journalists who have put in more than 20 years of service and attractive instalment scheme to enable them to purchase houses built by the TNHB.

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Section  : Southern States
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