From Our Correspondent
Guwahati: Assam government is adopting the Kerala model to enforce ban on sale and consumption of guthka and pan masala. The state government in Assam has already issued a notification on the ban under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Regulation Act, 2011.
Informing this here on Saturday Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said Assam would impose ban on guthka and pan masala as per the provisions of the existing Central Act though the State Health Department had proposed to formulate a new legislation to impose ban on smokeless tobacco products in the State.
He said the Central Act was even upheld by the Supreme Court and that would leave no option for aggrieved parties in the State to challenge imposition on ban in the State.
Gogoi said Assam government stands to lose about Rs 20 crore as revenue in the wake of enforcement of the ban and there will be loss of job to some people also in case of closure of production units.
Assam government has already issued a notification announcing its decision to ban sale and consumption of guthka and pan masala in the State at the instance of the Chief Minister.
The Central government had asked Assam government in August last year to effect ban on smokeless tobacco products like guthka and pan masala.
However, the State Health Department had soft paddled on it citing the possibility of huge revenue loss to the exchequer as neighbouring states were yet to tread on the same path.
Several guthka and pan masala manufacturing units were set up in Assam to avail the benefits and tax sops granted under the Northeast Industrial Policy, 2007.