Zaheerabad turning hub for gutka, jarda business

Zaheerabad: With Zaheerabad lying on the borders of three states of Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra, it has turned into a hub for jarda and gutka business.

The traders are using the town for their illegal activities. Products containing tobacco, flavoured tobacco and nicotine are banned in the State of Telangana.

Gutka and jarda are being imported from Bidar, Humnabad, Balki, Gulbarga, and Udgir of Karnataka and Omerga, Naldurg and Solapur of Maharashtra.

The business is thriving as officials turned a blind eye to the menace.

It is learned that a few traders formed a syndicate and are importing gutka and jarda and is being transported to Telangana from Karnataka via Bidar, Dappur, Raikod, Munipally, Sadasivpet, Sangareddy and Hyderabad. It is being transported to Zaheerabad from Bidar via Buchanelly, Burdipad, and Tumkunta forest route.

Also, that gutka and jarda are being stored in colonies, farmhouses and new ventures in and around the town and supplied to Sadasivpet, Sangareddy, Medak, Siddipet, Vikarabad, and Shankerpally.

Gutka is being supplied across Telangana from Bidar as the city has a number of gutka industries.

Police are conducting occasional raids and filing cases against petty traders.

Few people are alleging that police are failing to control illicit transport of gutka from the district.

Sales of gutka are going on secretly in most of the Kirana shops in the town with no inspection taken up by the officials.

Due to the easy availability, people especially teenagers and students are becoming the worse victims.