The Karnataka government has decided to withdraw its yearlong ban on gutka and tobacco-containing pan masala, just two days after the order took effect, following protests from legislators across party lines who warned that it could hurt arecanut growers.<\/p>\n
Chief minister D.K. Shivakumar directed officials to withdraw the order after a meeting with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress legislators led by BJP MLA Araga Jnanendra and Congress MLA D.G. Shanthana Gowda, who raised concerns that the prohibition could hurt the market for arecanut and cause losses to growers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe issue also came up during Thursday\u2019s Cabinet meeting. Shivakumar was reportedly displeased that the Food Safety Commissioner\u2019s order was issued without his knowledge and questioned health department officials about why the matter had not been brought to him before the notification,\u201d an official privy to the development said.<\/p>\n
The prohibition, issued on Monday, covered the manufacture, storage, transportation, distribution and sale of gutka, pan masala and other products containing tobacco or nicotine. It applied to packaged and unpackaged products, including products sold separately in a way that allowed consumers to mix them.<\/p>\n
Under Section 30(2)(a) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, the Food Safety Commissioner can prohibit the manufacture, storage, distribution or sale of food articles in the interest of public health. The August 10 order was issued under that provision and Regulation 2.3.4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011.<\/p>\n
The reversal has been driven in large part by concerns over the agricultural economy in districts where arecanut cultivation is widespread.<\/p>\n
Former chief minister and BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai said the government needed to protect public health without leaving growers exposed. \u201cThere are two matters. One is health, which must be ensured, but the interests of arecanut growers must also be protected,\u201d Bommai said.<\/p>\n
He said arecanut farming, once concentrated mainly in the Malnad region, had expanded into several districts, leaving large numbers of farmers dependent on the crop. \u201cFarmers wait for five years for the arecanut crop. They invest throughout this period. Already, arecanut growers are facing problems. The government should provide compensation to farmers if such a decision is taken,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
JD(S) MLA A. Manju also called for the ban to be withdrawn, warning that any measure affecting arecanut growers would meet resistance in the Malnad region. \u201cThe Chief Minister should know that there will be stiff resistance. In the Malnad region, a large number of people are dependent on arecanut farming. The government should reverse its decision to ban gutka. If the government wants to ban arecanut, it will get a bad name,\u201d Manju said.<\/p>\n
He said legislators would support farmers if they launched protests against the decision and urged the government to safeguard growers\u2019 interests.<\/p>\n
BJP MP B.Y. Raghavendra alleged that cigarette companies had lobbied for the prohibition and demanded its withdrawal within 24 hours. Speaking at a press conference in Shivamogga on Friday, he threatened that the BJP would take to the streets if the order remained in force. \u201cThe ban would impact arecanut growers. The price of areca had already come down in the market within a day of the order,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Raghavendra also questioned the government\u2019s approach to other products, arguing that a public health policy should apply consistently. \u201cIf the government was concerned about the health of people, it should ban the sale of cigarettes and liquor. The Congress government has increased the number of liquor licences and the number of liquor shops have been increased at the hobli-level. Will they ban the sale of liquor?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Arun Dev is an Assistant Editor with the Karnataka bureau of Hindustan Times. A journalist for over 10 years, he has written extensively on crime and politics.<\/p>\n