Panel to monitor ban on gutka

A district-level monitoring committee headed by the Collector has been formed to monitor the implementation of the ban on gutka, pan masala, and other nicotine-based food products.

Officials of police, revenue, education, social welfare, local bodies, commercial tax, transport, and health departments form part of the committee which will have the designated officer of food safety as coordinator and executive officer. The first consultative meeting of the meeting was held on Thursday. Speaking at the meeting, Collector Jayashree Muralidharan said the deadline for shopkeepers to remove all stocks of the banned items will expire on June 22 after which food safety officials will inspect shops. If the banned products were found at the shops they will be seized and destroyed. S. Rajeswari, Superintendent of Police, Abhinav Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (law and order), T. Thiyagarajan, District Revenue Officer, V.P. Thandapani, Corporation Commissioner, and A. Ramakrishnan, Designated Officer (Food Safety), attended the meeting, a release said.