Gutka and Pan Masala is expected to be made available for the people soon, as manufacturers who approached the High Court challenging the ban by Food Safety officials, got a favourable judgment. The manufacturers are changing the names of the products with the Centre imposing ban on these products. The Centre had banned these products due to the presence of harmful ingredients in them. With this, the manufacturers are producing the products in different names as this is a huge business with little investments. However, the government isn’t considering this seriously.
ASSOCHAM has estimated that annually Rs 50,000 crore worth of business is carried out in the country. There is an argument that the manufacturers are mainly Gujarati’s who have good links with the BJP leadership hence they were able to clear the hurdles. The Centre, in 2014 had banned Gutka because of its ill-effects on the health of people. There is a criticism that the Central Health Ministry which is spending crores of rupees on advertisements showcasing the ill-effects of Gutka isn’t imposing a ban.
As per an estimate, it would require 50 paise for a Gutka packet and the same is sold at Rs 10 to Rs 12 in the market, which means a profit of 20 times. Hence the manufacturers are using the loopholes in the Acts whenever there is a ban. There are allegations that the manufacturers are funding the ruling party at the Centre. Hence the Centre was not acting tough on them.
Some have become like a mafia by illegally making Gutka and Pan Masala in AP. There is a campaign going on that a ruling party public representative got Rs 300 crore profit by preparing tobacco in a warehouse in Guntur. The manufacturers change the storage every time the police raid their godowns. There is a risk of manufacturers going berserk with the ban being lifted by the Court.
