Now Reading: Karnataka withdraws gutka ban after MLAs protest over arecanut
-
01
Karnataka withdraws gutka ban after MLAs protest over arecanut
The Karnataka government has withdrawn its ban on gutka and tobacco-containing pan masala just two days after the order took effect, following protests from BJP, Congress and JD(S) legislators. Chief minister D.K.…
The Story in Brief
The Karnataka government has withdrawn its ban on gutka and tobacco-containing pan masala just two days after the order took effect, following protests from BJP, Congress and JD(S) legislators. Chief minister D.K. Shivakumar directed officials to withdraw the order after a meeting with MLAs who warned that the prohibition could hurt arecanut growers. The ban, issued on Monday under the Food Safety and Standards Act, covered manufacture, storage, transport, distribution and sale of such products.
BJP MP B.Y. Raghavendra alleged that cigarette companies had lobbied for the ban and claimed areca prices fell within a day. Former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said health must be ensured but growers' interests also needed protection. JD(S) MLA A. Manju warned of resistance in the Malnad region. Hindustan Times reports that Shivakumar was displeased the order was issued without his knowledge.
The Indian Opinion
The flip-flop exposes a familiar discomfort: no party wants to be seen as soft on public health, but none risks angering a cash-crop constituency. Arecanut is not tobacco, but gutka is the biggest market for it. The government should ban end-use products, not the raw crop, or offer a transition package for growers. Will the administration now produce a clean, consistent policy that names exactly what is banned and compensates farmers, or will this cycle repeat?
Source: hindustantimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
