Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Mar 2: The statement made by a union minister that the government is considering a proposal to ban the use of areca nut as it is detrimental to health has given rise to tension in the minds of areca nut growers.

Already ideas about manufacture of different by products by using areca nut have been coming up and there are studies about their positive effects on health. Studies are also under way at Ramaiah Institute of Technology Bengaluru to scientifically prove that areca nut is not injurious to health. In the middle of all this, union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya, has talked about the possibility of placing a ban on areca nut.

In the year 2017, in reply to a question raised by one of the parliamentarians, the then health minister, Anupriya Patel, had repeated the stand taken by the earlier UPA government in 2011 that areca nut is harmful to health. The UPA government had submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court saying that areca nut is injurious to health. In 2019, the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute based in Kasargod had submitted a report. In its finding the institute had said that areca nut is not harmful to health. The growers say that the central government has not studied this report and made changes in its stance.

In the meantime, Campco chairman, Kirankumar Kodgi, has asked the concerned to scientifically prove that areca nut is harmful to health instead of creating confusions through unnecessary statements. He said Campco condemns the statement of the union minister. He said that scientific report stating that areca nut is in no way harmful to health have been submitted to the Prime Minister, home minister and the health minister. He also added that the Taiwan University also has provided similar report. He said that Campco and several other institutions have asked the Supreme Court not to consider the affidavit earlier submitted. He asked the ministers not to mislead the farmers by issuing such unwarranted statements when the hearing in the matter is pending.