By IANS,
Jaipur : Rajasthan Wednesday banned the production, sales and storage of gutka (tobacco-laced paan masala), the fifth state in the country to do so, and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot warned of strong action to enforce it. Violators will be fined between Rs.25,000 to Rs.10 lakh, he said.
The decision to this effect was taken at the cabinet meeting headed by the Gehlot here. Rajasthan has become fifth state in the country after Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh.
“We will take strong steps and action to enforce the ban,” the chief minister told reporters here after the cabinet decision.
“However, he admitted that the ban will not solve the problem completely. It requires the cooperation of the public,” he said.
Gehlot said that the decision is expected to cause a revenue loss of around Rs.125 crore to the state exchequer.
The chief minister said that violation of ban would attract a fine ranging from Rs.25,000 to Rs.10 lakh.