RANCHI: The Jharkhand government on Tuesday extended the prohibition on the manufacture, storage, sale, and distribution of Gutka and Pan Masala containing tobacco or nicotine as ingredients till July 25, next year.
The order signed by the Principal Secretary-cum-State Food Safety Commissioner, Nitin Kulkarni, said that under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 the ban is hereby extended for one year, up to 25-7-2021 in the interest of public health.
Earlier the Jharkhand government on May 8 this year had banned manufacture, sale, and storage of 11 brands of pan masala for a year saying these products contain a chemical that is harmful to the heart and can cause various diseases.
The state government had on April 22 imposed a ban on all tobacco products to prevent spitting in public places that could increase the threat of the spread of novel coronavirus infection.