HYDERABAD: The Telangana state food commissioner has issued a new notification reaffirming the ban on chewable tobacco products, including gutkha and pan masala, effective May 24. Despite the initial ban in 2021, legal challenges from tobacco manufacturers led to a court stay in 2022, temporarily lifting the prohibition.
K Balaji Raju, assistant food controller of the GHMC, stated, “For the last four to five months, the sale was ongoing, but this new order halts it. Due to the court stay, the ban orders were not renewed. Now, this order will be in place for a year.”
The notification prohibits the manufacture, storage, distribution, transportation, and sale of gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco and nicotine across the state. Possession of these products in any form, including sachets, pouches, packets, and containers, will be considered a violation of the Food Safety and Standards Act (2006) and the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulation (2011).
