Southern States - Karnataka   

Union Minister to discuss clause on 'supari'

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE NOV. 14. The Union Minister for Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation, Ananth Kumar, today assured areca-nut growers that he would hold discussions with the Union Health and Food Ministers on the issue of removal of the clause "chewing of supari is injurious to health'' from the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act of 1955.

Addressing presspersons after a meeting with areca-nut growers here, Mr. Kumar said the Centre had amended the Act of 1955 in 1993 and considered consumption of areca nut harmful. On the growers' demand that the Centre should restrict the import of areca nut to support local growers, he said he would raise the issue in the winter session of Parliament, which would begin on November 18. He would bring the issue to the notice of the Union Finance and Agriculture Minister, he added.

Although sufficient areca nut was available for domestic consumption, large quantities were being imported from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka. The country had imported 30,000 tonnes of areca nut last year. More than one crore people, directly and indirectly, were dependent on the areca-nut crop, which was being grown in 10 lakh acres. Mr. Kumar called upon areca-nut growers and MLAs elected from areca-nut-growing regions to constitute a permanent delegation to discuss their problems with the Union and State governments on a regular basis.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Health scheme for Karnataka farmers
• Union Minister to discuss clause on 'supari'
• Courses in hearing-aid tech. started
• Bommai under pressure to head merged JD
• Demand to cancel pvt. dairy's licence
• Minister for developing old port area
• `CM diverting attention from Cauvery issue'
• Kidnap: PDF leader offers to negotiate
• Centre urged to waive co-op. crop loan
• `Newborn Week' to be observed from today
• Confusion over water release in Hemavathi Basin

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu