High Court directs Assam govt to conduct sample test of ‘pan masala’ items

February 18: The Gauhati High Court has directed the Assam government to conduct a sample test of ‘pan masala’ products available in the market in order to check whether they contain harmful chemicals like magnesium carbonate (MgCO3) which causes cancer, cardiac arrest and other diseases. The court has asked the state to file its response on 16 March, 2020.

A public interest litigation (PIL) was filed by Jitul Deka, General Secretary of Asomiya Yuva Mancha, seeking the court’s intervention in banning manufacture, supply and sale of harmful products like ‘pan masala’ in the state. The petitioner further said that States like Bihar, Maharashtra and Rajasthan have prohibited certain brands of pan masala, which are available in Assam, after they were found to contain MgCO3. In the PIL, Deka also prayed for constituting a special team under the supervision of the high court for the purpose.

The division bench of the Gauhati High Court directed the State Government to collect the samples of all the pan masala products available in the market and conduct test to check whether it contains MgCO3 and accordingly take action under the Food and Safety Act.