Gutkha stocks shift from shops to homes

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials claimed that the trend of storing and selling illegal gutkha has moved from shops to residences of the sellers. In its latest bust ofillegal sale of gutkha and paan masala, FDA even found a vada-pav seller stocking gutkha in his house. Gutkha was found hidden in box-beds and cupboards at their homes, FDA officials said.

On Wednesday, a team of officials headed by Dilip Sangat, FDA assistant commissioner (food), Pune raided a house at Omkar Colony in Warje, and seized gutkha and pan masala worth Rs56,380.

“Our food safety inspectors Asmita Tonpe and Avinash Dabhade raided the vendor’s shop and home following a tip-off from an unknown person. Interestingly, the accused, 33-year-old Asif Ahmed Ansari, had hidden gutkha in his box-bed. We are seeing that people who were earlier in this business are now sidelined. The trend is that small vendors are getting into this business to earn some extra bucks,” said Sangat.

“According to the informer, Ansari used to go house-to-house to sell gutkha to his fixed clientele. In recent raids we found that people are hiding gutkha in their homes or cars,” he added.
puneinbox@dnaindia.net

Banned since last year
The ban on gutkha came into force on July 19, 2012. The notification banned manufacturing, storage, distribution, as well as sale of gutkha and paan masala. The state government had decided to press for long prison terms and fine up to Rs10 lakh by invoking stringent provisions in the Food and Security Standards Act, 2006.