A District Level Coordination Committee meeting was held at the Deputy Commissioner’s conference hall on 18th November 2024, under the National Tobacco Control Program. Kawoto Village in Zunheboto district was declared a Tobacco-Free Village and awarded a citation, along with five schools—GPS Project West, GPS Shotomi Village, GPS Aghunato, GPS Khuwaboto, and Sacred Heart School, Zunheboto—which were declared Tobacco-Free Schools and also received citations.
At the felicitation program, Deputy Commissioner of Zunheboto, Rahul Bhanudas Mali, expressed his deep concern over the excessive use and easy availability of tobacco products in the district, which could lead to dire consequences in the future, especially for younger generations.
He further commended Kawoto village and the schools for their achievement and appealed to the concerned stakeholders to continue their noble efforts. Other notable activities during the programme included speeches from representatives of the awarded schools and the Gaon Bura (GB) of Kawoto Village, Hukheto Sükhalu.