Jul 7, 2013

Gutkha Ban - HC Notice to Centre

The Orissa High Court on Friday issued a notice to the Centre on extending the ban on gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine to zarda and other forms of chewing tobacco.

The division bench of Justice PK Mohanty and Justice SK Mishra, while accepting an amended petition filed by Bikash Das of Committee for Legal aid to Poor (CLAP) and MD Imran Ali making the Union Government a party in the case, has directed it to file an affidavit within four weeks.

The petitioners submitted that when most of the items were covered under the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006, only products like gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco and nicotine as ingredients have been banned leaving out zarda and chewing tobacco.

Therefore, the doubt is created and taking advantage of the flaw in Act, the ban is not being enforced in letter and spirit, they alleged.

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