The Gauhati High Court has directed the Assam government to conduct a sample test of pan masala items available in the market in order to check whether they contain harmful chemicals which causes cancer, cardiac arrest and other diseases.

The court was responding to a PIL was filed by Jitul Deka, general secretary of Asomiya Yuva Mancha. Deka appealed the court to ban the manufacture, storage, distribution, transportation or sale of pan masala products as they contain harmful chemicals like magnesium carbonate (MgCO3).

The petitioner stated that certain pan masala brands which have been banned in states like Bihar, Maharashtra and Rajasthan due to the presence of magnesium carbonate are available in Assam like ‘Kamla Pasand’ and ‘Vimal’.

Advocate Amit Goyal, the counsel of the petitioner, told Time8, “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.”

He added, “The court has asked the state to file its response on March 16th, 2020.”

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