Tobacco Control hero writes to PM

* "Machana's" Letter to the Prime Minister

* A Plea for "No-Smoking Zones" Near Schools and Colleges

* Machana Raghunandan—hailed as a "Tobacco Control Hero"—has penned letters to the Prime Minister, the President, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and Members of Parliament, emphasizing the critical necessity of tobacco control measures.

Machana Raghunandan—a recipient of the "Tobacco Control Hero" award and a Deputy Tahsildar in the Enforcement Wing of the Civil Supplies Department—explained that, in his letters, he earnestly appealed to the authorities with the plea: "Sir, please designate the areas surrounding schools and colleges as 'No-Smoking Zones'." He also wrote a letter to Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. On Thursday, he dispatched a letter to the PMO via the Secunderabad General Post Office.

Speaking on this occasion, Raghunandan stated that he had already apprised the President of India of this matter. Raghunandan further mentioned that he intends to write to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, urging for the implementation of stringent measures to curb tobacco usage in and around schools and colleges across India.

He observed that parents often find themselves in a helpless and desperate predicament—fully aware of the detrimental habits their children are falling prey to at schools and colleges, yet powerless to intervene. In this context of despair regarding how to protect their children, Raghunandan remarked that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's initiative to establish anti-narcotics committees in schools marks the dawn of a new era.

Furthermore, Raghunandan expressed optimism that if the indiscriminate sale of cigarettes and beedis—which are currently available everywhere—were to be banned not only near schools and colleges but also within the vicinity of government offices, Telangana would emerge as a model state for the entire nation. "Machana" announced that several additional programs are being undertaken in observance of May 31st, World No Tobacco Day.