Ban on Pan Masala & Gutka extended till by one more year in Jharkhand

Ranchi: The state government on Monday decided to extend the ban on manufacturing, storage, distribution and sale of Pan Masala and Gutkha by another one year in Jharkhand.

A notification in this regard has been issued by the Department of Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare.

The notification said the prohibition on the manufacture, storage, sale and distribution activities of Gutkha and Man Masala containing tobacco or nicotine as ingredients by whatsoever name available in market under sections 30 (2) (a) of the Food Safety Act is hereby extended for one year in the interest of public health, the notification said which has been signed by Additional Chief Secretary cum State Food Safety Commissioner Arun Kumar Singh.

Any violation of the order shall entail strict action under the appropriate sections of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 and Indian penal code 1860.

The government through its notification number 84 (16) dated 8/5/2020 for the first time had imposed a ban on 11 brands of Pan Masala in the state including Rajnigandha and Pan Parag.

In 41 samples of different Pan Masalas which were collected in the state from separate district all of them were found to have contained banned substance Magnesium Carbonate which causes heart related ailments and other diseases. (UNI)