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Tobacco law goes up in smoke  

It seems the government's writ doesn't run in its own offices. Walk into any state office and you would find cigarette and pan shops, often on the premises, in blatant violation of a ban enacted by Parliament against sale of tobacco products and pan in any government facility.

In fact, pan and bidi shops do brisk business in government offices in West Bengal, with state employees providing a ready market for them. With the government failing to enforce this simple legal provision, it is hardly surprising that the more important law of banning smoking in public places has gone up in smoke.

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