Combined squad to fight gutka menace

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Police, Revenue Department and the office of the Commissioner of Food Security will form a combined squad to facilitate effective ban on gutka and pan masala in the State. The decision has in principle got approval from all the  departments concerned, but the official announcement is likely to come in a day or so.  The order banning gutka and pan masala was passed by the Chief Minister on May 24. The ban was effected under the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulation, 2011. To validate the ban,  substances like gutka and pan masala were treated as food stuffs which cause serious health hazards. Under the Food Safety and Standards Regulation Act, the sales of the banned food items can attract six years’ imprisonment and a penalty amounting to ` 5 lakh. The food safety officers under the Health Department have already started a clampdown on the sales of the illegal items. But large-scale action would start only after June 15, the deadline set by the office of the Commissioner of Food Security to wind up the sales of gutka and pan masala. “The decision to extend the deadline till June 15 was taken on humanitarian grounds. The wholesale dealers can move their goods to other states, where there is no restriction on the sales of these materials, till June 15. But action against retail dealers would continue,” said Food Security Commissioner Biju Prabhakar.  But what worries the officials is the manpower crunch faced by the department. Almost 100 food safety officers and 17 designated officers have to implement the legislation in the entire State. The authorities are planning to overcome the shortage by collaborating with the police and revenue departments.  The Police Department has been taking action against the sales of pan masala and gutka products within 400 metres from educational institutions. DGP Jacob Punnoose said that with the new order, the Police Department will intensify their action. “We have been taking action against the sales of such materials for the last couple of months. That vigil will continue,” he said.