KUPWARA, Aug. 28 -- District Development Commissioner (DDC) Kupwara, Shrikant Suse, on Friday directed officials to strengthen enforcement of tobacco control laws and set a target of declaring 100 villages in the district as tobacco-free by the end of the year.

The directions were issued during a review meeting of the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) and the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, held at the District Administrative Complex here.

During the meeting, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Kupwara presented a detailed review of the district's performance under the programme, including achievements, challenges and enforcement measures undertaken under COTPA across various blocks.

Reviewing the progress, the...