CM D K Shivakumar withdraws one-year ban on gutka, pan masala

Bengaluru, Aug 14: The Karnataka government has decided to withdraw the one-year ban imposed on gutka and pan masala products containing tobacco or nicotine. The government took this decision just two days after the ban came into effect.

Chief minister D K Shivakumar has instructed officials to withdraw the ban order.

The food safety commissioner had imposed a one-year ban on the manufacture, storage, distribution, transportation, and sale of gutka and pan masala products containing tobacco or nicotine across the state.

D K Shivakumar was reportedly upset that the order was issued without bringing it to his notice. Citing that the ban could cause financial losses to many farmers, he instructed officials to withdraw the order immediately.

Earlier on Thursday, a delegation of BJP and Congress representatives met chief minister D K Shivakumar and appealed to him to withdraw the ban order. The delegation was led by BJP mla Araga Jnanendra and Congress mla D G Shantanagouda.

The delegation informed the chief minister that the government's order had caused anxiety among farmers and could severely impact the market. The government was urged to protect arecanut growers from the potential losses resulting from this decision.