The Rajasthan government today lifted a ban on the sale of mawa, a day after it prohibited its sale to check possible adulteration of the milk product during the festival season.
The state government had yesterday announced a ban on sale of mawa and products made out of it to check possible adulteration during Diwali.
The decision to impose the ban was conveyed to the High Court yesterday, which was hearing a petition seeking its intervention to check the sale of adulterated mawa during the festival season.
The government said it will present in High Court detailed plan to check sale of adulterated mawa.
"We are withdrawing the ban on mawa and a special drive will be undertaken to check adulteration in the state," Health Minister Rajendra Rathore told reporters here today.
Rathore said the government will now present in High Court its detailed plan to check adulteration in mawa in the state.
Ban on mawa was not a practical decision because nearly one lakh people are associated with this trade, he added.
The government's decision to ban the sale of mawa had created panic among the traders and a meeting was held today between the Health Minister, officers and mawa businessmen.
After the meeting, mawa businessmen expressed happiness over the government's decision to withdraw the ban saying, the earlier decision would have adversely hit large number of people whose livelihood depends on this trade.
Kaluram, a mawa whole seller in Gopalji Ka Rasta, said the government should undertake intense campaign for checking adulteration.
"If there is a case of adulteration, the government should act on it," he said.
Mawa shops are mainly located in Gopalji ka Rasta, Jhotwara, Shastri Nagar, New Sanganer Road areas.
In Jaipur, there are around 100 shops of mawa retailers and whole sellers and around 25,000-30,000 kg of mawa and its products are consumed everyday.
The sale doubles during the festival season - from Navratri to Diwali, Kaluram told PTI.
A sweets shop owner in Brahmpuri area Mohan Saradhana said nearly 60-70 per cent consumers purchase mawa sweets.
"Most of the sweets are prepared by mawa, therefore, a ban on mawa would have caused huge loss to people associated with the business of sweets and mawa," he said.
