SC bans sale of gutka, pan masala in plastic pouches

The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the ban on sale of tobacco products like gutka and pan masala in plastic pouches from March 2011, while asking the government to conduct a survey on the ill effects of these products within two months. A bench of Justice G S Singhvi and Justice A K Ganguly also asked manufacturers to find an alternative packing material, while regretting that regulations under the Plastic Management and Disposal Rules 2009 were not being enforced in earnest.The survey would be conducted by the National Institute of Public Health.