Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SHS)

Mangalore, Aug 14: Minister of state for commerce and industry Nirmala Sitaraman has said that there is no proposal from the central government to ban arecanut on health grounds. During the recent Lok Sabha elections, the issue had garnered much attention with MP candidates of the BJP contesting from the coastal districts making it a key campaign strategy.

The minister conveyed this to the Campco delegation led by railway minister D V Sadananda Gowda. The delegation comprised of MPs Nalin Kumar, Shobha Karandlaje, Shivakumar Chennabasappa Udasi, and Udayakumar Shetty along with Padmanabha. They also met health minister Dr Harsha Vardhan on Tuesday August 12 and Wednesday August 13 at New Delhi and submitted memorandums.

Addressing a press meet here on Wednesday August 13, Konkadi Padmanabha, president, Campco, said that the delegation had asked the commerce minister to clip the import of areca from underdeveloped countries. “Areca imported from under-developed countries availing the benefit of zero percent import duty has systematically brought down the domestic market. The delegation requested the health minister to appoint a senior counsel and also to withdraw the affidavit submitted to the apex court stating ‘areca is injurious to health’.”

He added that the delegation raised a proposal with Sitaraman to increase the minimum price for import to Rs 170 per kg as opposed to the Rs 110 stipulated in the month of May last year. In the memorandum submitted by the delegation, it was mentioned that importing arecanut from Bangladesh and Nepal along with private traders tapping an equal amount of areca had decreased the prices of domestic arecanut. “We also urged the minister to put an end to prevailing smuggling of areca from Bangladesh,” said Padmanabha.

Padmanabha said the delegation had asked the minister to impose GST (goods and service tax) to prevent tax evasion at various locations. When asked about the objection that would arise off the state quarters he said the central government should take into confidence all chief ministers in this regard as implementation of this move will spell the end of black marketing that impacts on the interests of areca farmers.

Padmanabha said that the government may announce a special package for crop loss incurred by areca growers due to yellow leaf disease. The delegation also requested the health minister to depute senior scientists to carry out a study on the niggling problem and guide the farmers on alternative crops on areca farms.

The memorandum also appealed for appointing the Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore, as the authority to treat and release imported arecanut as public health authority offices at ports lack the adequate facility to carry out the test.