Post card campaign against bar by students

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Dec 17, 2017: Students of St Ann’s School have started a post card campaign against a recently opened bar near their school at Kuntikana. The post cards have been addressed to Dakshina Kannada CWC president. The students and residents have been opposing the bar on the grounds that the bar and restaurant is within 100-metre distance from the compound wall of the school.

The students said that the authorities should give permission only for a restaurant and not for a bar. Section 6 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 (COTPA) states that sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products within a 100-yard radius of educational institutions is illegal. Similarly, the State’s Excise Department bans the sale of liquor within a radius of 100 metres from educational institutions.

On December 7, the students and parents had staged a protest against the inauguration of the bar and claimed that the bar is within an 80 metre radius from the school compound. The school authorities had submitted a memorandum to the excise department and Deputy Commissioner in this regard.

In the post card, students have stated that, “As the bar is situated within a 100 metre radius of the school, the schoolchildren and the society will have a bad impression. We have to start our day by seeing the bar. No action has been taken in spite of the protest.”

It may be recalled that due to the protest by the students, Mayor Kavitha Sanil, who was supposed to inaugurate the bar and restaurant on December 7 at Kuntikana Junction, returned without inaugurating the bar.

The owner of the bar and the restaurant has been stating that all rules have been followed and he had procured a license for it.