NASHIK, June 13.: State Health Minister Daulatrao Aher said here today that the Maharashtra government would take the initiative to ban the manufacture of gutkha all over the country, apart from banning its sale in paan stalls in the state.Talking to mediapersons, Aher said that the State government wanted a ban on the manufacture of gutkha as it caused oral cancer. He said that the intervention of the centre was sought as imposing a ban was not in the jurisdiction of the state government. The state government has sought the ban of Gutka in 124 factories in the country, 20 of which are located in Maharashtra. A meeting of Food and Drug Administration officials from all states would soon be convened, he said.Aher further said that the state government would move a bill banning the sale of gutkha in paan stalls. Paan shops sell about 90 per cent of the gutkha manufactured and there are about one lakh paan stalls in the state selling Gutka, he said. He added that the government would also prevail upon the manufacturers in the state to stop marketing Gutka in pouches, which has attracted teenagers and youth in large numbers. He further said that the government would also take steps to prevent Gutka manufacturers from sponsoring festivals, cultural programmes and sports events. In a recent meeting of the State Consumer Redressal Forum it was decided to launch a mass awareness campaign against Gutka, the minister said.
