Daijiworld Media Network - Moodbidri (SP)

Moodbidri, Mar 1: Chief whip of Karnataka legislative council, Ivan D'Souza, said that a protest by farmers will be held against the central government on March 2 opposite the office of the tahsildar here. He said that this protest is aimed at registering the indignation of the people at the union government's efforts at banning prouction and sale of areca nut products, on the basis of alleged reports about the crop having cancer-causing substances. He noted that areca nut has been the leading commercial crop of coastal districts of Karnataka.

Addressing a press conference at his public contact office here on Wednesday February 28, Ivan noted that union of state in family welfare department, Anupriya Patel, based on information provided by officials in the department, has come to the conclusion that consumption of areca nut causes cancer. He said that instruction passed on by the minister to all the states to place ban on areca nut has been giving anxious moments to the areca nut growers from this region. He noted that the government is yet to make public the laboratory test reports to support the ban.

Ivan also wondered as to how areca nut can be exported to over 40 countries in the world, if it is cancerous. He demanded that the central government should come out with a clear stand on the subject.

Taluk panchayat former members, Rukmaya Poojary and Lazrous D'Costa, were present at the press conference.