Govt must oppose anti-arecanut bill and save lives of farmers: Poojary

Govt must oppose anti-arecanut bill and save lives of farmers: Poojary

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Dec 13, 2013: Former union minister B. Janardhan Poojary said that the government must not take any decision to ban Arecanut in hurry since it is not injurious but good for health.

Speaking at the press meet held at Press Club on Dec 13, Friday, he said that the primary occupations of people in coastal regions are arecanut cultivation. Hence the government must not ban tobacco which destroys the life of areca growers. 

Poojary also said that Arecanut contains just about 0.15 per cent of alkaline which do not harm people’s health but it benefits a lot. When government did not take any intuitive to ban harmful things like alcohol and cigarette, then what is the necessary to ban Tobacco. Even the tonic contains the alkaline, then the government must also ban it, he added.

The decision to pass anti-arecanut bill was done with the information passed by few officials, hence Supreme Court cannot be held responsible in the issue.

He urged the opposition party leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley to oppose the bill and requested work with unity to cancel the implementation of the anti- arecanut bill to save the lives of farmers.

The chief minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah must ask the Congress high command to oppose the proposed plan and convince the Supreme Court leave out the bill, he said. He also assured to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi and discuss the issue.