Union Government’s Plea for More Time to Notify the Law on Gutka Packaging Rejected

The Supreme Court of India, on 2 February 2011, rejected the Union Government’s request for more time in implementing the law to regulate the use of plastic pouches for gutka and other tobacco products.

The Supreme Court bench comprising Justice AK Ganguly and GS Singhvi rejected the plea of the union government. The Supreme Court bench ruled this in response to the petitions filed by tobacco manufacturers which sought modifications of the Supreme Court ruling on 7 December 2010 banning the use of plastic as packaging material by 1 March 2011.

The Supreme Court Bench on 7 December 2010 had ordered a ban on the sale of tobacco, ‘gutka' and pan masala in plastic pouches from 1 March. It had asked the tobacco manufacturers to start non-plastic packaging in place of plastic packaging.