Carcinogenic: PA body approves gutka, mainpuri bill
So far officers were reluctant to prosecute as no laws existed.
KARACHI:
The standing committee of the Sindh Assembly on the Home department approved on Thursday a bill to ban gutka and mainpuri and referred it to Sindh Assembly for legislation.
The meeting, which was presided over by MPA Anwar Mahar, expressed its concern over the free market for gutka and mainpuri, which are major contributing factors to mouth cancer.
Initially, the bill was moved by MPA Humera Alwani during the Sindh Assembly session a few months back, but the speaker referred it to the standing committee to discuss before the laws were made.
The bill suggests three to seven years in punishment for the manufactures, retailers and even those who provide the places for the manufacture of gutka and mainpuri. A penalty of Rs0.5 million will be imposed on them as a fine, and if they don’t pay it they will further in the confinement for six months. The bill has also suggested a three-month punishment for consumers of gutka and mainpuri as well.
“The sale and manufacturing of gutka and mainpuri will be declared a non-bailable offense,” said Mahar.
Sindh Home Minister Manzoor Wassan attended the meeting as an ex-officio member of the committee. Talking to the media later, he appreciated the bill and said that it would be implemented in the entire province. “We will move the bill in the coming Sindh Assembly session and after the law is passed, strict action will be taken against people involved in this business,” he said.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Alwani, who has long fought for this law, said that more than 90 per cent of people using gutka end up suffering from different kinds of mouth diseases, including cancer. Unfortunately, though, up till now, there has been no concrete law on it. “The police and other authorities concerned always excused themselves from taking action against the manufacturers of gutka, saying that there was no specific law,” she said. “I think this bill will prove beneficial for the people of Sindh.”
More than nine meetings of the standing committee were held to discuss the pros and cons of the bill. Legal experts and the police were consulted as well.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 23rd, 2011.
The standing committee of the Sindh Assembly on the Home department approved on Thursday a bill to ban gutka and mainpuri and referred it to Sindh Assembly for legislation.
The meeting, which was presided over by MPA Anwar Mahar, expressed its concern over the free market for gutka and mainpuri, which are major contributing factors to mouth cancer.
Initially, the bill was moved by MPA Humera Alwani during the Sindh Assembly session a few months back, but the speaker referred it to the standing committee to discuss before the laws were made.
The bill suggests three to seven years in punishment for the manufactures, retailers and even those who provide the places for the manufacture of gutka and mainpuri. A penalty of Rs0.5 million will be imposed on them as a fine, and if they don’t pay it they will further in the confinement for six months. The bill has also suggested a three-month punishment for consumers of gutka and mainpuri as well.
“The sale and manufacturing of gutka and mainpuri will be declared a non-bailable offense,” said Mahar.
Sindh Home Minister Manzoor Wassan attended the meeting as an ex-officio member of the committee. Talking to the media later, he appreciated the bill and said that it would be implemented in the entire province. “We will move the bill in the coming Sindh Assembly session and after the law is passed, strict action will be taken against people involved in this business,” he said.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Alwani, who has long fought for this law, said that more than 90 per cent of people using gutka end up suffering from different kinds of mouth diseases, including cancer. Unfortunately, though, up till now, there has been no concrete law on it. “The police and other authorities concerned always excused themselves from taking action against the manufacturers of gutka, saying that there was no specific law,” she said. “I think this bill will prove beneficial for the people of Sindh.”
More than nine meetings of the standing committee were held to discuss the pros and cons of the bill. Legal experts and the police were consulted as well.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 23rd, 2011.