Nitish Kumar govt bans 12 brands of pan masala in Bihar

The Nitish Kumar-helmed government in Bihar has banned 12 brands of pan masala containing magnesium carbonate. The state government mentioned that the manufacture, storage, distribution, transportation or sale of pan masala containing magnesium carbonate has been banned in Bihar.

The ban was announced after the food and safety department of the statement raised its concerns over the pan masalas. Earlier the department had examined a few pan masala brands and found that they contain magnesium carbonate that can cause heart disease.

The brands which were examined by the food and safety department were Rajnigandha Pan Masala, Raj Niwas Pan Masala, Supreme Pan Parag Pan Masala, Pan Parag Pan Masala, Bahar Pan Masala, Bahubali Pan Masala, Rajshree Pan Masala, Raunak Pan Masala, Signature Pan Masala, Kamala likes include Pan Masala, Madhu Pan Masala.

The Nitish Kumar government had earlier imposed a ban on the manufacture, sale, distribution and storage of gutka and all its variants.

Similarly, in 2016, a government notification stated that pan masala, gutkha and all forms of chewable tobacco were to be banned for a year in Delhi. "The manufacture, storage, distribution, or sale of tobacco which is either flavoured, scented or mixed and whether going by the name or form of gutkha, pan, masala, flavoured/scented tobacco, kharra, or otherwise; whether packaged or unpackaged and/or sold as one product, or though packaged as separate products, sold or distributed in such manner so as to easily facilitate mixing by the consumer is prohibited for a year," it said. In 2017, UP CM Yogi Adityanath banned pan masala and gutkha in the state government offices.

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