Bhubaneswar: The premises of Lok Seva Bhawan in the Odisha capital here have been declared as a ‘Tobacco-Free Zone’.

The primary objective of this initiative is to protect public health and create a clean and healthy environment for the employees and visitors.

The Health and Family Welfare Department has issued a notification in this regard, prohibiting smoking, consumption of tobacco products and spitting tobacco at the Lok Seva Bhawan premises.

The notification stated that tobacco use is a major cause of several non-communicable diseases, including cancer, heart disease and lung-related ailments. It further noted that tobacco consumption is responsible for around 1.3 million deaths in India every year.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling said the initiative was aimed at strengthening the objectives of Swachh Bharat, Swasth Bharat and the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, while making Lok Seva Bhawan a clean, healthy and tobacco-free workplace.

He said efforts were being strengthened to curb tobacco consumption under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.

The Minister also emphasised the need to promote a healthy lifestyle among the younger generation and said that efforts to encourage complete abstinence from tobacco would continue in the coming days.

As per the notification, smoking, consumption of tobacco and spitting tobacco are strictly prohibited within the Lok Seva Bhawan premises. Any violation of the prohibition will be treated as a punishable offence under the applicable law.