Puducherry has followed the footsteps of Tamil Nadu by prohibiting gutka, pan masala and other food products containing tobacco and nicotine in the Union Territory for a period of one year.
The Commissioner of food safety of Government of Puducherry has issued orders prohibiting the manufacture, storage, distribution or sale of gutka and pan masala and any other food products containing tobacco and nicotine as ingredients in the UT.
According to a release from G Ragesh Chandra, Commissioner of food safety, any violation of the ban would be punished criminally.
The Central Government had enacted the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and established Food Safety and Standards Authoirity of India for laying down science-based standards for articles of food and regulate their manufacture, storage and distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption. As per the regulations, tobacco and nicotine should not be used as ingredients in any food products as they are injurious to health.
Gutka and pan masala are the food products in which tobacco and nicotine are widely used as ingredients.
It may be recalled that AIADMK Puducherry unit secretary A Anbazhagan had urged the government to ban the sale of gutka and pan masala being sold without any check in the UT. He wanted the administration to bring in a legislation banning the products and effectively implement it in the Union Territory.
He had pointed out that the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa had banned the sale of the products and a Government Order had been issued and steps were being taken to effectively implement it in Tamil Nadu.