The Maharashtra government has adopted a tough stance against the illegal sale of tobacco, pan masala and narcotic substances in school and college campuses, signalling zero tolerance towards activities endangering student safety. During the Question Hour proceedings in the state legislature, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis informed the House that cases have already been registered against those involved in the illegal sale of pan, tobacco and drugs in educational premises. He stated that the government is also preparing to amend existing laws to invoke the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against suppliers and distributors of banned substances such as gutkha, pan masala and charas.
CM flags seriousness of offence
The Chief Minister also stressed that selling intoxicants near educational institutions is a serious offence and assured the House that strict and exemplary action would be taken to curb such activities. While BJP MLA Prashant Thakur first raised the issue in the lower house, Shaikh sought to know why stringent provisions of the MCOCA were not being effectively used against habitual offenders violating the ban on gutkha and similar products.
MCOCA amendment in progress
To questions raised by Congress MLA Aslam Shaikh, Fadnavis said, "Under the present MCOCA provisions, there must be an element of threat or physical harm for its invocation. We have already moved a proposal to the home department to amend the law so that habitual suppliers and distributors of banned substances can be booked under it."
Need to strengthen existing laws
The Chief Minister said while cases are being registered, the existing legal provisions are weak. "There is a need to make the law more stringent and effective to curb the illegal trade," he added. A large number of cases regarding the supply or sale of gutkha, 'mava', cigarettes, supari, pan masala, charas and ganja have been registered across the state, including Navi Mumbai (1,144), Ahmednagar (185), Jalna (90), Akola (35), Nashik (133), Chandrapur (230), Solapur (108), Buldhana (634), Nagpur (49) and Yavatmal (1,706), Fadnavis informed.
For the violation of gutkha ban, offences have been registered under sections 123 (causing hurt by means of poison, etc), 274 (food/drink adulteration) and 275 (sale of noxious food or drink) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita along with relevant provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, the CM added.
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