Bangalore: Rumours of a move by the Centre to ban arecanut has stirred a Hornet’s Nest in at least five MP constituencies across the Malnad-Coastal region even as the ruling Congress claimed it was for protecting the interests of arecanut growers.
At a meeting attended by representatives of Shikshana Snehita, Sringeri, Malnad Mithra, Bangalore, the Congress and JD(S), Congress leaders said WHO had mentioned the presence of alkaloids in arecanut.
The Director, Rural Health Mission had written to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India to verify the truth behind the WHO findings but there was no move to ban arecanut, they said.
The Congress was represented by former Assembly Speaker B.L. Shankar and Udupi-Chikmagalur MP Jayaprakash Hegde, while Y.S.V. Datta spoke on behalf of the JD(S).
CAMPCO, a major arecanut cooperative, claimed that the tobacco lobby was behind the move to ban arecanut. However, Jayaprakash Hegde contended that the Centre had never said it would ban arecanut.
Arecanut growers dominate in five Lok Sabha MP seats in the Malnad-Coastal regions, including Uttara Kannada, Dakshina Kannada, Udipi-Chickmagalur, Shimoga and Hassan districts. With the BJP trying to make it electoral issue, the Congress is trying its best to make sure this does not happen.
B.L. Shankar said that health concerns about arecanut began after the Supreme Court banned Gutka. Since very litte arecanut is used in Gutka, the government wants to clear all doubts about arecanut, he said. The argument was endorsed by Datta. BJP leader Sadananda Gowda did not turn up for the meeting.
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