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Leh, October 30, 2026: A meeting of the District-Level Coordination Committee (DLCC) regarding the Tobacco-Free Youth Campaign (TFYC) 4.0 was held today under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner Leh, Romil Singh Donk (IAS), at the VC Hall, Deputy Commissioner’s Office, Leh.
The meeting focused on the launch of the 60-day Tobacco-Free Youth Campaign 4.0, interdepartmental coordination, enforcement of tobacco control regulations, and the implementation of awareness activities to promote a tobacco-free environment across the district.
During the meeting, Dr. Stanzin Jamyang, District Consultant, National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP), gave a detailed presentation on the campaign’s objectives, the roles and responsibilities of various departments, proposed new members of the DLCC, and provisions under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA). He also presented the achievements of the 60-day Tobacco-Free Youth Campaign 3.0 during 2025–26, along with the achievements of the past four months and the action plan for the upcoming campaign.
As part of the action plan, the mega launch of TFYC 4.0 is scheduled for November 2, 2026, followed by regular COTPA enforcement drives every Monday and Wednesday. Three rounds of training are planned for law enforcement personnel and paramedics; merchant associations; Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) representatives and NGOs.
The presentation also highlighted photographs of awareness programmes conducted in schools and tobacco control enforcement drives carried out under COTPA.
Senior Superintendent of Police Leh, Fulzele Piyush Nirakar (IPS), emphasised the need to strengthen enforcement against the illegal sale of tobacco products. He suggested the meeting about the formation of an enforcement group and proposed sending teams to markets for inspections and taking action against shops operating without the required licences. He also suggested creating an awareness video featuring His Eminence Drukpa Thuksey Rinpoche to spread the message against tobacco use through social media. Further, he directed that FIRs be registered against shopkeepers found selling tobacco products in violation of the law, instead of limiting action to the issuance of challans.
Deputy Commissioner Leh, stressed the importance of coordinated and sustained efforts by all concerned departments to ensure the effective implementation of the campaign. He directed the formation of three teams to conduct awareness and enforcement drives three to four days a week. He also emphasised extending campaign activities to remote villages to strengthen tobacco control at the grassroots level.
The Deputy Commissioner further directed the concerned officers to identify six additional villages for declaration as tobacco-free, with support from the District Panchayat Officer (DPO). He instructed each department to prepare and submit a schedule of its proposed activities to ensure effective coordination.
Chief Medical Officer Leh Dr. Rinchen Chosdol thanked all the participating officers and stakeholders for their involvement and urged the departments to work in close coordination to ensure the successful implementation of TFYC 4.0. She emphasised that collective efforts would be essential to building a healthier and tobacco-free Ladakh.
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