Mumbai, July 13
The Maharashtra government is gearing up for a legal challenge from manufacturers of gutkha and pan masala following the decision to ban their manufacture, distribution, storage and sale in the state.

After consulting legal experts, the state government said it would file a caveat before the Bombay High Court to prevent anyone seeking a stay on the ban. "The ban will come into force as soon as the notification is issued," food and drugs administration minister Manohar Naik told reporters here. Naik added that the government's efforts to ban sale of gutkha and pan masala in the state were thwarted by manufacturers who went to court. The last time, the government banned sale of gutkha and pan masala in the state, the matter went right up to the Supreme Court.

In the past, the Maharashtra FDA sought to regulate sale of gutkha and pan masala by banning the addition of magnesium carbonate. However, the manufacturers circumvented the ban by illegally adding the banned substance to the products.