Govt's health dept pulls up DIAL for not destroying seized gutkha

The Delhi government's Health Department has pulled up the airport operator for not destroying the banned product

Days after the Delhi airport asked the Muslim pilgrims flying to Mecca and Medina to leave behind their gutkha sachets, weighing 270 kg, so as to avoid any tension in Saudi Arabia, the Delhi government's Health Department has pulled up the airport operator for not destroying the banned product.

According to sources, the Delhi International Airport Private Limited (DIAL) had decided to hand over the banned product to Haj committees so that it could be either sold or used to raise funds. The DIAL returned 120 kg of gutkha to the committee and was planning to return the remaining as well.

A letter was then sent by the Delhi State Tobacco Control Society on Friday, directing the airport operator to take back the tobacco product sent to Haj committee and destroy it completely.

"In view of the above, it is requested that even the gutkha that has been returned to one Haj committee may be taken back immediately and destroyed along with the available gutkha at the airport," the department wrote in its letter.

When contacted, DIAL refused to comment on the issue. Sources, however, said the operator has not received the letter from the department.

According to the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on sales) Regulations, 2011, issued by the FSSAI, under the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006, tobacco and nicotine shall not be used as ingredients in any food products.

"This is really surprising that the airport operator that comes directly under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) was not even aware that gutkha is a banned product. Such kind of seized products cannot be stored at all. The letter sent by us has been received by them," said Dr SK Arora, Additional Director (Health).

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in December, 2016, had issued a complete ban on the production, promotion, and sale of food products containing tobacco and nicotine as ingredients across India.