Gutka, pan masala containing tobacco and nicotine banned in Assam
GUWAHATI: Assam has banned manufacture and distribution of gutka and pan masala containing tobacco and nicotine. The ban is for a period of one year.
According to a state government notification these goods are banned under the provisions of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The government has announced that it will soon table a legislation banning these products.
Assam has couple of big pan masala manufacturers prominent among them is Dharampal Satyapal (DS) Group. Assam earns close to Rs 7.98 Crore as tax from sale of tobacco products in the state.
According to the state government according to survey, 3.20 lakh packets of tobacco products, including cigarettes and gutka, are sold every day in the state.
Assam govt imposes ban on gutkha
The Assam government on Friday passed an order banning manufacture and sale of gutkha and paan-masala containing tobacco and nicotine, even as a PIL seeking a ban on gutkha is pending disposal in the Gauhati High Court.
The order prohibiting manufacture, storage, sale, transportation, display and distribution of gutkha by whatever name and paan-masala with tobacco and nicotine, was issued under sub-section 2 of Section 30 of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, in interest of public health, the notification said. The ban order is for one year.
It was in December 2012 that the HC had registered a PIL on the basis of a letter to the chief justice by Dr Ravindar Singh, vice-president of Indian Dental Association, praying for a direction to the state to impose such a ban.
No comments:
Post a Comment