Minister of state for the FDA, Satej Patil, on Thursday, informed the Legislative Council that the ban on gutka, which ends on July 19, has been extended for another year, effective from July 20.
The minister, however, faced heavy criticism for banning the product. Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam alleged that the ban was merely a façade, while deputy chairman Vasant Davkhare pointed out that no action has been taken against a certain manufacturer, who continues to peddle gutka in the city, despite this.
Soon after Mr Patil announced the ban, Mr Davkhare questioned him. He said, “Why doesn’t the FDA ban the product once and for all, rather than banning it for a year, and then renewing the ban. It looks like a façade; a face-saving exercise. Despite the ban, Jagdish Joshi continues to sell gutka, and there has been no action against him. Does he have political backing that the FDA is wary of taking action against him?”
Responding to the deputy chairman’s objection, Mr Patil said, “We are taking all the necessary actions needed to prevent the sale of gutka, and in fact, the department has seized gutka worth `20.73 lakh, and destroyed `12 crore worth of the same with the court’s permission. With regards to Joshi, we have taken the necessary actions, and the process of filing an FIR is also underway.”
The ban on gutka can be implemented for three consecutive years by the state government, after which, the Centre is authorised to take a call.