STATE APPROVES BAN ON GUTKHA, PAAN MASALA
MUMBAI: The state cabinet has approved the ban on sale and consumption of gutkha and paan masala in the state for one year. At the end of the year, the ban will be extended for another 12 months. Gutkha sale in the state is estimated to be around Rs300 crore a month and the government earns more than Rs100 crore in taxes on it every year. The state had attempted to ban gutkha in 2002 and then in 2008, but encountered several legal hurdles. MUMBAI: The state cabinet has approved the ban on sale and consumption of gutkha and paan masala in the state for one year. At the end of the year, the ban will be extended for another 12 months. The ban will come into effect once the notification is issued, which could be anytime soon.
The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) department had presented the proposal to this effect at Wednesdays meeting. On June 5, HT had reported that the cabinet had given in-principle approval to the ban.
FDA minister Manohar Naik along with minister of state for FDA Satej Patil had been advocating the ban for years.
Figures show that gutkha was one of the major reasons for oral diseases such as cancer. Gutkha sale in the state is estimated to be around Rs 300 crore a month and the government earns more than Rs 100 crore in taxes on it every year.
The state had attempted to ban gutkha in 2002 and then in 2008, but encountered several legal hurdles. The new Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), which was passed last year, will facilitate the ban this time.
In 2010, the state banned the sale of gutkha and cigarettes within 100 metres of schools and colleges. States such as Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Goa and Bihar have banned the sale of gutkha.
The move to ban gutkha gained momentum after deputy chief minister and senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar announced it at a public forum last month. Pawar said the state would lose Rs 100 crore in tax from gutkha and pan masala but would not compromise on citizens health.
Maharashtra is one of the highest users of tobacco in the country, with 43% adult men and 19% adult women addicted to it. The findings were published in the Global Adult Tobacco Survey in Maharashtra released last month.
Source: Hindustan Times, Page No.1, Dated: 12th July, 2012