Banned gutka freely available

BHUBANESWAR: Gutka and paan masala continue to be freely available across the state even though the government had banned these tobacco-laced products 11 months ago.

Anti-tobacco activists say that ironically, the ban has resulted in increased profits for tobacco manufacturers.

"The ban means the government has stopped taking taxes. However, the products continue to be sold freely. The manufactures are saving the cost towards excise duty," said Itishree Kanungo, an anti-tobacco activist.

Government sources said the state used to generate around Rs 100 crore from tobacco products each year before the ban was enforced. "The ban has simply stopped the government from collecting taxes. But no action is being taken to actually enforce the ban in absence of clear-cut rules," Kanungo said.

Anti-tobacco activists said the government had been soft on the violators on the pretext of an order from Orissa high court. In an interim order on January 31, the high court asked the government not to destroy the seized tobacco products and instead keep them in safe custody. The court order came on a petition of the tobacco makers that zarda could not be banned under the notification since it was not a food product.

"The court order doesn't stop government officers from making seizures. However, they are avoiding crackdown as storing these may be a difficult task. As a result, we now find open sale of gutka in the state," said Imran Ali, another anti-tobacco activist.

In the initial days after the ban, betel shops had stopped displaying chains of gutka sachets anticipating crackdown. Since the government didn't initiate sustained raids, they are selling the sachets openly.

"Everybody is selling them. So am I," said a shop owner near Master Canteen Square in Bhubaneswar.

Odisha notified the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations 2011 on January 3. It bans manufacture, sale and promotion of gutka, paan masala and other tobacco-laced edible items, major cause of lung cancer.

However, the enforcement never became effective. "Hundred per cent results can't be achieved overnight. For such a ban to work, we need greater public awareness. The crackdown could not have been continuous because we are short of manpower (food inspectors)," said Debendra Dash, director (public health), nodal officer for implementing the ban.

The government has formed a state-level coordination committee under the chief secretary to ensure the effective ban.