5000 pouches of Rangolo Pan Masala seized

Haryana : Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Haryana has started crackdown on the food business operators engaged in the sale, distribution, supply, stocks etc of Gutka and Panmasala containing Nicotine or Tobacco as ingredients which has been prohibited by the Haryana Government. FDA teams are conducting raids all over the state to confiscate the products and ensure the compliance of the prohibitory orders.
While stating this here today, a spokesman of the FDA said that raids were conducted at various outlets in different parts of the State in an extensive drive undertaken by the FDA against this menace and such products were confiscated and were also sampled under the provisions of Food Safety and Standard Act 2006.
He said that the department had also invited the persons from different walks of life like chemist Association, NGO, other traders in this movement against such products. A group of chemists in Gurgaon city conducted combing operations and helped the department in getting such products moved out of the market by personnel efforts.

He said that the FDA team raided various Gutka or Panmasala outlet situated outside the malls, big hotels as well as the markets in Gurgaon city and collected samples of such products for purpose of test and analysis under the provision of Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA) 2006. The FDA team conducted such operations in different areas in city Hisar such as Parizat Chawk, Moli Bazar, Ghandi Chawk, Rampura mohalla in this regard. Similarly raids were also conducted in Faridabad city and two samples of gutka and panmasala were seized from the market under Food safety and standard Act 2006.

He said that the joint team of Health and FDA Department conducted combine operation in Narnaul and got destroyed such products available for purpose of sale and distribution. So far more than 20 samples of such food products had been seized under the provision of FSSA 2006 for analysis purpose from different district i.e. Ambala, Rohtak, Bhiwani, Hisar, Gurgaon, Kaithal, Sonepat. Even shops of Pan Vendors and confectioners were checked by FDA team to ensure compliance of prohibitory orders. More than 5000 pouches of Rangolo Pan Masala were seized from Gokalpura area of Behel in Bhiwani District by the police alongwith the FDA officer Bhiwani.
He said that Dr. Rakesh Gupta, Commissioner FDA hadappealed to the public in general to refrain from using such product like Gutka or Pan masala which were  injurious to the health being carcinogenic.

FDA seizes gutka worth Rs3 crore in Thane

Increased vigil by authorities of the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) paid off on Thursday midnight, when its Thane unit with help from the Talasari police seized six trucks carrying branded gutka sachets, apart from arresting the six drivers and a manager accompanying the consignment.
Being transported from a Silvassa-based manufacturing firm to an export house at Powai, the consignment worth nearly Rs3 crore was packed in 3,000 cartons which were stashed into several gunny bags, in all weighing around 16,200kg.
Inspector Dutta Chavan of Talasari police said, “It was after the tip-off by Thane FDA authorities that we stopped the six trucks near the Dhondalwadi police chowky in Talasari, on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad national highway No.8 on Thursday midnight (2am).” Manufactured by Kirti Industries at Silvassa, the gutkha consignment of ‘Goa’ brand was meant for sale in Panvel and Powai areas, he added.
After authorities recovered fake documents in the name of the export house, namely Zubair Ali SJJ Export Company, JMJ House at Powai, FDA official Prashant Deshmukh raided the location and found that the firm had no exports licence at all. “Meanwhile, the Thane FDA probing the case has already sent the gutkha pouches for a chemical analysis at their laboratory in Thane and awaiting report,” said Chavan.
While refusing to divulge the names of the six truck drivers and the company manager detained by the FDA, Deshmukh said, “There is only one gutka manufacturer in Maharashtra, as opposed to over a dozen of them outside the state, including Gujarat and the neighbouring Union territories of Silvassa and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.”
A case under the stringent Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, will be slapped against the accused, he added.

‘Genetically modified crops no panacea for food security’

A good INTERVIEW in HINDU regarding Genetic Modified (GM) Crops ...!

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Basudeb Acharia. ‘We are not against new technology in the farm sector but it should be in the interest of farmers without undermining the rights of consumers.’

The debate on the pros and cons of genetically engineered/modified crops is universal. In India, in the face of vociferous protests, the controversy has only deepened leading to a moratorium on cultivation of Bt Brinjal crop — the first GM food crop sought to be commercialised. Gargi Parsai spoke to Basudeb Acharia, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture, on its new report, “Cultivation of Genetically Modified Food Crops — Prospects and Effects.”

The government asserts that GM crops are essential for food security of India’s growing population. What is your take?

GM is not the panacea. We have 2,200 varieties of Brinjal. If we allow GM Brinjal, all our varieties will get contaminated and vanish as has happened in cotton. When the committee members visited Yavatmal in Vidarbha, we asked farmers why they were growing Bt cotton if the input costs were high and profits were low. They said they had no other option as alternate seeds were no longer available.

Initially a 450 gm packet of Monsanto’s Bt cotton seeds was sold at Rs 1,700. Then after the Andhra Pradesh government challenged this in court, it was brought down to Rs.750 per packet but the royalty of Rs.250 per packet is paid to Monsanto that developed the seed. Last year, a packet was sold between Rs.1,200 to Rs.2,000 because of the monopoly of this private seed company. An artificial scarcity was created and the price was hiked. This will happen in Bt brinjal too if it is allowed.

If our quest is for food security then why must we select this technology which has nothing to do with food security? The only motive behind this is profit for the seed companies.

What are the major recommendations of your committee?

We have said that the government must not allow field trials of GM crops till there is a strong, revamped, multi-disciplinary regulatory system in place. We studied the regulatory system in different countries and found that the one in Norway was the best.

We have recommended a thorough probe into the permission given to commercialisation of Bt Brinjal right from the beginning till a moratorium was imposed in 2010. Also that there should be examination of research reports and assessment by independent scientists of Bt Brinjal by an agency other than the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), which gave approval on its own assessment, to avoid conflict of interest.

The panel recommended re-evaluation of all research findings in Bt cotton seeds in the light of studies that highlighted inexplicable changes in the organs and tissues of Bt-cotton seed-fed lambs.

Having noticed several shortcomings in the functioning, composition, powers and mandate of GEAC and the Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation (RCGM) in their regulatory role, we have recommended to our sister committees on Science and Technology and Environment and Forests to do a comprehensive examination and report to Parliament.

There should be mandatory labelling of products from GM crops, unchecked import of GM products should be stopped and we have suggested that alternate organic farming should be encouraged, for which, as of now, there is no government support. An explanation has been sought from the Department of Consumer Affairs as to why no examination was done of the lakhs of tonnes of Bt cotton seed oil extracted from Bt cotton that has entered the food chain.

What are the chief concerns?

GM technology cannot be the monopoly of one company, as in Bt cotton. The benefits that were assured from Bt cotton cultivation are not coming because new pests have appeared. Farmers have to use more pesticide and chemical fertilizers, as a result of which there has been an increase in input costs and reduction in profit margins leading to farmer’s indebtedness and suicides.

Does it worry you that GM foods can enter the country without checks? Only if the exporter or the importer makes a declaration will authorities know that GM products are entering the country.

That is the weakness in law. There is only a Food Lab in Kolkata under the Ministry of Health and which is not well-equipped. The new Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is supposed to do it. The government must enact a legislation to protect the rights of consumers. Today, consumers have no rights and no means to know which imported food contains GM. There should be compulsory testing and labelling of GM food entering the country.

Now that the report is out, what do you expect the government to do?

The moratorium on Bt Brinjal should continue. All field trials of GM crops should discontinue. They should only be done in confined area in labs, the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) Bill should be reviewed so that there is no conflict of interest as the promotion of biotech and regulation cannot be under one body. You cannot compare with the United States as in India, 80 to 82 per farmers are small and marginal.

Why do you think the government is allowing this?

Because of pressure from the United States. Because since 1991, the government is pursuing neo-liberal economic policies — all are inter-related. You will find the difference in the agrarian crisis in the pre-1991 and post-1991 period. Suicides of farmers started from 1996-97. Before that there were isolated incidents. Just as it is now — there is pressure from the U.S. on India to allow 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail trade so that Walmart can come.

The industry-based Association of Biotech-led Enterprises-Agriculture Group (ABLE-AG) has said implementation of your panel’s recommendations will hit farm growth.

I do not agree. We were producing 52 million tonnes in 1950-51 and are today producing 257 million tonnes without using GM technology. If we have increased to such an extent, where is the need for GM technology? From a food importing country we are now exporting, though it is also a fact that a large number of population is not fed, whereas godowns are full.

We are not against new technology in the farm sector but it should be in the interest of farmers without undermining the rights of consumers. As of now it is more inclined towards industry without the accompanying safeguards, regulation and monitoring on pricing, monopoly, seed sovereignty and biodiversity.

How was unanimity achieved on this sensitive subject among the 31 committee members representing different political parties and ideologies?

We wanted to make an objective report. We invited those in favour of GM crops including Monsanto and those who were not. We visited five States including Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. We examined 18,000 documents 1,000 memoranda and 56 witnesses. The panel members met 100 farmers’ widows and heard from lakhs of farmers their plight in each State. The arguments of those against were stronger. That is why the entire committee is unanimous. There was not a single amendment or dissent.

DINAMALAR NEWS

Haryana, A ‘No-Gutka’ Zone

Haryana government's ban on manufacture, storage, sale and distribution of gutka and pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine from August 15 is being considered as a good move by many.
While pan vendors, who used to earn their livelihood are running into losses and people, who became habitual of chewing pan masala are either quitting or opting for beetle nuts and other mouth fresheners to get their daily dose.

Struggle to survive
Since the violation of the orders is punishable, the pan vendors are afraid of selling gutka or cigarettes. Ram Vilas, a pan vendor in Civil Line, the only earning person in a big family of seven members said, "I used to earn Rs.500 to Rs.700 daily by selling gutka and cigarettes. Since the order came into force, I am suffering massive losses. In lieu of gutka, I am selling tea and rusks to run my family."
A large number of pan vendors had come up in Old Gurgaon, Sadar Bazar, Civil Line, Railway Road, Sukhrali, etc.
"I am not selling any gutka since the order was passed. There are still some vendors who are selling gutkas on higher rates from Rs 5 to Rs 10," said Shyam Babu, owner of Shyam Pan Bhandar, Sector 15.
The teams of district officials in the recent past raided some pan shops and seized thousands of gutka pouches but didn't take any legal action so far.

 Wave of joy
What the family members of gutka-chewers could not do in past two decades, a recent move of the government has done. "We should thank the government. I can heave a sigh of relief that my husband will not be chewing gutka all the time. Sometimes, it is very irritating as it deteriorates health and is wastage of money. I kept asking him to leave this bad habit but he never did it. I hope at least, he will save Rs.30 to Rs.50 every day," chuckles Pushpa Soni, a resident of Sushant Lok I.

 Haryana implements
Dr Rakesh Gupta, commissioner of food safety (Haryana), said "In most parts of Haryana, tobacco and nicotine have been widely used as ingredients in gutka and pan masala. To curb the consumption of gutka and pan masala in the interest of public health, the ban has been imposed for a period of one year."
It had become a trend among youth especially girls lighting cigarettes and chewing mouth fresheners of different brands. When asked different school students, college and office-goers, businessmen, etc, said, "We used to spend Rs 100 to Rs 150 on cigarettes and mouth fresheners. On an average, we took 10 to 12 cigarettes and 15 to 20 guktas daily."

 Punishment
The violation of the ban is punishable under law with an imprisonment up to six months or fine up to Rs one lakh, which would be increased up to Rs three lakh and imprisonment of one year if the contravention is resulted into non-grievous injury.
Meanwhile, for severe injury, the punishment would be up to six years of jail and fine up to Rs five lakh and if any death occurs, the imprisonment can be extended up to seven years and fine up to Rs 10 lakh.
 Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) also prohibits
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under Section 2, 3 and 4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations, 2011 prohibits manufacturing and sale of food in which tobacco and nicotine are used as ingredients as they are injurious to health.

 Experts' views
Dr Anubha Singh, gynaecologist and infertility specialist said, "Not only cancer but consuming tobacco in any form can lead to infertility, osteoporosis, bone fractures and skin diseases."

Survey says
• Global Adult Tobacco Survey: In Delhi NCR 10.5 per cent youngsters, 16.7 per cent men and 2.8 per cent women consume tobacco in form of gutka, khaini and cigarettes.
• At present, nearly 0.9 million tobacco-related deaths occur in India annually as compared to 5.5 million worldwide which is expected to increase to about 10 million during 2020.
• India is the second-largest producer and consumer of tobacco in the world after US and China.

"I can heave a sigh of relief that my husband will not be chewing gutka all the time. Sometimes, it is very irritating as it deteriorates health and is wastage of money. I kept asking him to leave this bad habit but he never did it. I hope at least, he will save `30 to `50 every day
Pushpa Soni, resident, Sushant Lok I"