Maharashtra makes gutka ban foolproof

The state has decided to impose a ban on the manufacture, sale and storage of gutka in Maharashtra. The decision will mean a loss of Rs100 crore to the government.

Maharashtra finance minister and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar indicated that the government has taken all legal aspects into account to ensure that its decision is not challenged in courts. “Our chief concern is to safeguard people’s health. Financial loss is secondary and will be taken care of through other measures in the budget. Youngsters cannot be allowed to become victims of cancer by getting addicted to gutka,” he said.

Pawar added that the state had always advocated this ban as it felt that awareness campaigns undertaken by the government and NGOs failed to stop youngsters from consuming gutka. A senior minister said, The decision was taken under the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on sales) Regulation act.

Several NGOs and health organisations have been pressurising the state to take harsh steps to ban the sale. Earlier, the government’s decision to ban its sale near schools and educational institutions failed to bring the desired results.

The cabinet’s decision failed last time because it was challenged in the court. The Maharashtra government, however, had been pursuing the ban with the union ministry of health, urging the centre to impose the blanket ban which would also help states across the country. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare advised the state to use its jurisdiction to ban gutka and then initiated steps accordingly.

The state government had earlier sought reports from other states that had effectively enacted a ban on gutka, like Madhya Pradesh and Kerala.