Gutka Ban

The Lancet Oncology study highlighted that South-Central Asia recorded the highest number of oral cancer cases linked to smokeless tobacco and areca nut use

The central government, responding to a contempt petition, informed the Lucknow bench of Allahabad Court that it has issued notices to actors Akshay Kumar, Shahrukh Khan, and Ajay Devgn in connection with advertisements they do for gutka companies. The Centre's counsel informed the High Court on Friday that the same issue was also being heard by the Supreme Court and as such the instant petition should be dismissed. After hearing the submission, the bench fixed the hearing for May 9, 2024. A bench of justice Rajesh Singh Chauhan had earlier directed the central government to decide the representation of the petitioner, who had originally contended that action should be taken against the actors and dignitaries who were given high profile awards but were advertising for gutka companies. The representation was made to the government on October 22 but no action was taken in the matter, the petitioner argued. Thereafter, hearing the contempt petition, the high court had issued notice t

Authorities of Puri's Jagannath Temple have announced a complete ban on consumption of tobacco-related products like paan' and gutka' on the premises of the 12th century shrine from January 1, 2024. The decision in this regard was announced by Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administrator Ranjan Kumar Das. Das said the ban will be strictly implemented for devotees, servitors and temple employees. Awareness over non-consumption of paan' and gutka' on the temple premises will be carried out in November and December, while the prohibition will come into force from January 1. Penalty will be imposed on the offenders, he told reporters on Tuesday. The SJTA has also written to the Chhattisa Nijog' (apex body of servitors) over the matter. Though there is provision of penalty for consumption of such items inside the temple compound, no one was obeying the rule, it said in a letter to the servitors' body. Last month, the SJTA had said it will enforce a dress code for .

Noting the "direct and pernicious impact" of smokeless tobacco on public health, the Delhi High Court Monday affirmed a ban imposed by the food safety commissioner on manufacture, storage and sale of gutka, pan masala, flavoured tobacco and similar products in the city. A bench headed by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma set aside a September 2022 decision of a single judge of the high court quashing the ban and allowed the appeals filed by the Centre and Delhi government against it. The court opined that there "existed no justification" for the quashing of the notifications and dismissed the objections raised by entities in tobacco business against the prohibitory notifications issued from 2015 till 2021. "We find ourselves unable to sustain the impugned judgment rendered by the learned Judge. These appeals shall consequently stand allowed. We find no merit in the challenge raised in W.P.(C) No. 3362/2015 (against the ban). It shall, in consequence, stand dismissed," said the ...

The Supreme Court has sought a response to a plea challenging an order of the Madras High Court quashing a May 2018 notification prohibiting the sale, manufacture and transport of gutkha and other tobacco-based products. A bench of justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna issued notice to Food Safety Commissioner, Jayavilas Tobacco Traders and others on a plea filed by the Tamil Nadu government. "Issue notice in the special leave petition. Issue notice in the prayer for interim relief also" the bench said. Additional Advocate General Amit Anand Tiwari, appearing for the state, argued that orders of the Food Safety Commissioner banning the sale, storage, manufacture, etc. of gutkha and other tobacco products are backed by Regulation 2.3.4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations, 2011. The high court had set aside a notification issued by the Food Safety Commissioner on May 23, 2018, banning the manufacture, storage, transport, distribution and

The GST Council in its meeting on Saturday is expected to decide on a number of issues like decriminalisation of offences under the GST law, setting up appellate tribunals and mechanism to curb tax evasion in pan masala and gutkha businesses. Besides, GST on online gaming and casinos may come up for deliberations as the Group of Ministers (GoM), chaired by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, submitted its report on the issue to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday. "Union Finance Minister Smt. @nsitharaman will chair the 48th GST Council meeting via VC from New Delhi tomorrow. The meeting will be attended by MoS Finance besides Finance Ministers of States & UTs & Senior officers from Union Government & States," the Finance Ministry tweeted. The Council would also consider a report of tax officers and give clarity on the rate applicability in certain goods and services. With regard to decriminalisation of offences, the law committee of the GST Council, ...

In view of the recent surge in Covid-19 cases, the South Andaman district administration has prohibited the sale of all forms of pan masala and gutka

The police found 22 gunny bags containing gukta hidden beneath boxes of clothes kept in the vehicle, he said

May 11 fixed as the next date of hearing