Live
- G20 Leaders Will Talk About Climate, Taxes, and Trump's Return in Brazil
- COP29: CDRI announces $8 million funding for 12 projects to address climate crisis
- Anti-Telgu remarks: Actor Kasthuri Shankar moves court for bail
- Samsung AR Smart Glasses Set to Launch in 2025, Featuring Ray-Ban Meta-Like Design
- Kerala Industries Minister confident that new policy will boost plantation sector
- Madras HC plans inter-departmental monitoring committee to combat drug use in TN
- Bihar: Spotted deer dies due to heart attack in Banka district
- Mushtaq Ali T20: Shami to spearhead Bengal bowling attack, Gharami named captain
- Kharge's clarion call to oust Maharashtra's BJP-backed MahaYuti
- Why Ukraine’s Use of US Missiles Against Russia Could Lead to World War 3
Karimnagar CP vows to root out gutka menace
It seems that the Commissioner of Police, V B Kamalasan Reddy, is determined to root out gutka menace under the Commissionerate limits in the district by taking stringent action on those, who involved in manufacture and sale of gutka, by lodging PD Act, along with booking them under non-bailable cases. He is also conducting several awareness programmes to enlighten the people on the ill effects of
Karimnagar: It seems that the Commissioner of Police, V B Kamalasan Reddy, is determined to root out gutka menace under the Commissionerate limits in the district by taking stringent action on those, who involved in manufacture and sale of gutka, by lodging PD Act, along with booking them under non-bailable cases. He is also conducting several awareness programmes to enlighten the people on the ill effects of consuming tobacco-laced products and gutka.
He urged people of all sections to cooperate with the police personnel in curbing manufacturing and selling of gutka in the district. As part of his efforts, a rally was held from circus grounds to Telangana Chowk via Prathima Mutliplex under Commissionerate limits in Karimnagar on Friday.
MLA Gangula Kamalakar, District Collector Sarafaraz Ahmed and Commissioner of Police V B Kamalasan Reddy inaugurated the rally. Speaking on the occasion, the Commissioner of Police said 90 per cent of people are suffering with cancer and other such diseases due to gutka and tobacco consumption and of this 41 per cent were dying.
Several steps were taken to curb both production and sale of gutka under the Commissionerate limits by arresting the persons involved and registering cases against them along with creating awareness among people through various programmes, he explained.
The Police Commissioner advised the petty shop owners not to sell gutka and tobacco products to avoid problems in future. He warned them that if they involve in production or sale of gutka, PD Act and non-bailable cases would be filed against them.
City-based doctor K Muralidhar Rao said the use of gutka and tobacco-laced chewing products are the foremost preventable cause of death and disease in India. As per the Global Audit Tobacco Survey- India (GATS) 2010, over 20 crore Indians consume gutka and smokeless tobacco products.
Available evidences suggest that India has maximum number of oral cancer cases in the world. And in Karimnagar district, about 15 to 20 per cent of people were found addicted to gutka and tobacco products and were suffering with oral cancer, he added.
As per the orders issued by the Supreme Court on September 23, 2016, ban was imposed on manufacture, storage, distribution or sale of gutka and tobacco-laced products marketed separately or packaged, sold or distributed in the country.
The manufacturing and selling of gutka is more common in Sikhwadi and Ganj areas of Karimnagar city. The frequent raids by the police personnel, led by Police Commissioner Kamalasan Reddy, the traders of these areas are now thinking twice before involving in gutka business.
So far, the Police Commissioner lodged non-bailable cases against 16 persons involved in manufacturing and selling of gutka under IPS 270 and 271 along with two persons, belonging to Begam Bazaar of Hyderabad.
A resindent of Mankamma Thota, N Shashidhar, said earlier the ban on manufacture and sale of gutka was not implemented effectively in the district and the tobacco-laced chewing products are smuggled in to the district because of the same reason. But with the Police Commissioner taking stringent action, the gutka menace is somewhat came under control, he observed.
By: Puli Sharath Kumar
