Bengaluru, Aug 15 (IANS) Responding to strong rumours of the Karnataka government withdrawing the ban on gutka in the state, Karnataka Health Minister U.T. Khader on Saturday clarified that the government has only issued an order prohibiting nicotine‑laced gutka and pan masala and has not withdrawn the order.
Speaking to the media in Bengaluru, Khader said the decision to prohibit nicotine in pan masala was taken in the interest of public health and would not have any adverse impact on arecanut growers.
“The order is only against nicotine in pan masala. There is no ban on arecanut. Our department and the government will continue to provide complete support and encouragement to arecanut growers, farmers and traders,” he said.
Khader said the decision would not cause any loss to arecanut farmers and argued that it could instead lead to an increase in arecanut prices. He claimed that Indian arecanut is not generally used in gutka and that manufacturers source arecanut from countries such as Nepal and Bangladesh.
“Those involved in the arecanut trade will not face any problem because of this decision. Give it three months and see,” Khader said.
The Health Minister recalled that a similar concern had been raised when the government had earlier moved to ban gutka. He said he had strongly defended the decision at the time, with Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar also supporting it.
“We had said that arecanut prices would not fall. Three months later, the price of arecanut had increased,” Khader said, arguing that the latest decision to prohibit nicotine in pan masala would similarly not affect arecanut growers.
Khader also said the government had not taken any decision aimed at hurting arecanut farmers and traders and would continue to support them. He said Chief Minister Shivakumar had discussed the issue and made it clear that the health interests of the people should remain the priority while ensuring that arecanut growers were not adversely affected.
“The Chief Minister has also made it clear that arecanut growers should not face any difficulty. From the health perspective, this is a good decision,” Khader said.
It can be recalled that Karnataka BJP chief B.Y. Vijayendra alleged that the state government is attempting to “strike at” farmers and arecanut growers through its move to ban gutka, creating fear and uncertainty among cultivators across the state.
It can further be noted that the Karnataka government is reportedly contemplating withdrawing its gutka ban order within days of its implementation, following strong backlash from legislators across party lines who raised concerns about its impact on arecanut growers in several districts of the state.
–IANS
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