In what is being seen as an attempt to expose the conspiracy of his
health minister to give relief to the non-smoking tobacco producing
companies by trying to bring in a separate bill, Assam chief minister
Tarun Gogoi here on Saturday said that he instructed ban on non-smoking
tobacco under the provisions of a Central act.
Clarifying the charges of his health minister who recently tried to put blame on chief minister for delaying a separate bill of the state banning non-smoking tobacco in the state, Mr Gogoi told reporters, “You have asked so I want to put the facts straight. It was Union health ministry which in August had advised state health department to ban non-smoking tobacco through a formal letter to Assam chief secretary and health department.” Admitting that the letter did not come to his notice, Mr Gogoi said, “In December, DoNER minister Pawan Singh Ghatowar wrote a letter to me asking ban on non-smoking tobacco. Soon after receiving the letter, I instructed the health department to ban it but it was delayed.”
In an obvious reference to his health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma who wanted to ban non-smoking tobacco through a separate bill instead of adopting the Central act, Mr Gogoi said, “I have examined both the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restricti-ons on Sales) Regulations, 2011 dated 1st August 2011, issued under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the separate bill proposed by the health minister.”
Refusing to indulge in any blame game, he said that there was no need of any separate bill to ban non-smoking tobacco in the state.
While Sarma on Thursday tried to blame Gogoi for the delay in tabling a state Bill, the CM on Saturday said, "What if the proposed Act is challenged in the court of law? The existing (Central) Act already covers all aspects necessitating ban on various tobacco products." Negating Sarma's move to enact a new law, Gogoi indirectly blamed him for not implementing a Union Health Ministry directive sent in August last year asking the state government to immediately ban manufacture, transportation, storage, sale and display of gutkha and other non-smoking tobacco products.
"The Union Health Ministry had in August last year written to the state Chief Secretary to ban gutkha, paan-masala and other tobacco products under the Food Safety and Standards Act. But there was no action from the state health department. I was not informed about this letter until Union Minister Paban Singh Ghatowar wrote to me about the Centre's letter," Gogoi said.
The CM said the health department had informed him that the ban would lead to loss to the state exchequer as several units in Assam manufacture such products and some neighbouring states had not yet banned them.
Sarma hit back saying he would like to make public notes of discussion in the government file regarding the tobacco ban issue. "In view of prevailing confusion, I will seek permission of the government to release all recorded note of discussion in file regarding tobacco ban issue," he tweeted on Sunday.
Clarifying the charges of his health minister who recently tried to put blame on chief minister for delaying a separate bill of the state banning non-smoking tobacco in the state, Mr Gogoi told reporters, “You have asked so I want to put the facts straight. It was Union health ministry which in August had advised state health department to ban non-smoking tobacco through a formal letter to Assam chief secretary and health department.” Admitting that the letter did not come to his notice, Mr Gogoi said, “In December, DoNER minister Pawan Singh Ghatowar wrote a letter to me asking ban on non-smoking tobacco. Soon after receiving the letter, I instructed the health department to ban it but it was delayed.”
In an obvious reference to his health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma who wanted to ban non-smoking tobacco through a separate bill instead of adopting the Central act, Mr Gogoi said, “I have examined both the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restricti-ons on Sales) Regulations, 2011 dated 1st August 2011, issued under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the separate bill proposed by the health minister.”
Refusing to indulge in any blame game, he said that there was no need of any separate bill to ban non-smoking tobacco in the state.
Gogoi, minister spar over gutkha ban
There is a new twist in the dissidence brewing against Tarun Gogoi government in Assam. While Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is in favour of bringing a state law banning tobacco products, the Chief Minister is in favour of of a ban on gutkha and other non-smoking tobacco products under the Central Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.While Sarma on Thursday tried to blame Gogoi for the delay in tabling a state Bill, the CM on Saturday said, "What if the proposed Act is challenged in the court of law? The existing (Central) Act already covers all aspects necessitating ban on various tobacco products." Negating Sarma's move to enact a new law, Gogoi indirectly blamed him for not implementing a Union Health Ministry directive sent in August last year asking the state government to immediately ban manufacture, transportation, storage, sale and display of gutkha and other non-smoking tobacco products.
"The Union Health Ministry had in August last year written to the state Chief Secretary to ban gutkha, paan-masala and other tobacco products under the Food Safety and Standards Act. But there was no action from the state health department. I was not informed about this letter until Union Minister Paban Singh Ghatowar wrote to me about the Centre's letter," Gogoi said.
The CM said the health department had informed him that the ban would lead to loss to the state exchequer as several units in Assam manufacture such products and some neighbouring states had not yet banned them.
Sarma hit back saying he would like to make public notes of discussion in the government file regarding the tobacco ban issue. "In view of prevailing confusion, I will seek permission of the government to release all recorded note of discussion in file regarding tobacco ban issue," he tweeted on Sunday.
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