FDA seizes gutka and machinery worth over 3L

PUNE: Officials of the food and drug administration (FDA) on Sunday conducted a raid at a gutka manufacturing factory in Pune district and seized gutka, raw materials and mixing and packing machinery worth Rs 3.31 lakh. 

Acting on a tip-off, the officials laid a trap and raided the unit, which had been manufacturing the banned material for the last two-and-a-half months in a clandestine manner. 

"The manufacturing unit is located on the outskirts of village Varve khurd in Bhor taluka. It used to operate at night. Residents did not notice anything as the factory compound walls were 13 to 14 ft high. A political party worker from the village informed us about the factory, following which we raided the premises," said Shashikant Kekare, joint commissioner (food), FDA, who led the team. 

Food safety officials Avinash Dabhade, Sachin Aadhav, Nilesh Khose carried out the raid under the guidance of FDA assistant commissioners Shivkumar Kodgire and S B Naragude. 

Assistant commissioner Dilip Sangat said the premises were empty during the raid around 3am. "An FIR has been lodged with the Rajgad police station. The state government has made the manufacture, sale and distribution of gutka a non-bailable offence now," he said. 

Since the ban came into force, the FDA officials have seized gutka worth Rs 6.64 crore in Pune district. "Since 2012, we have conducted raids in 269 establishments and have lodged as many as 200 FIRs against the offenders. We seized the maximum amount of gutka from godowns followed by shops, paan stalls and residential premises. However, the modus operandi of selling the banned product keeps changing. We have to be vigilant to nab the offenders," said Kodgire. 

One of the ingenious methods of selling gutka that was reported following the ban was the 'supari mix'. The main ingredients in gutka are supari (betelnut) and jarda (flavoured tobacco). These are being sold in separate pouches as 'supari mix', which when mixed together becomes gutka. 

This is the third consecutive year when the state has banned gutka and paan masala. Through a notification on July 20, 2014, the state government has empowered the food safety commissioner to prohibit manufacturing, distribution, stocking and sale of gutka and paan masala under section 30 (2) (a) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.