Eight grocery shops were found selling banned tobacco products
A. Sadasivam, food safety officer along with other officers during a raid at a shop in Saidapet market on Sunday (Photo: DC)
Chennai: Eight grocery shops were found selling banned tobacco products at Saidapet market during a raid conducted by the food safety department on Sunday. According to Mr A. Sadasivam, a food safety officer, 23 shops in Saidapet market were raided. Of these, eight were found selling banned tobacco products. “We raided mainly grocery and betelnut shops. Banned brands like Hans, Miraj, Swaghat, MDM and seven other brands were found in these shops,” he said.
Mr Sadasivam said around 400 kg banned tobacco, worth Rs1 lakh, were seized from these shops. “Shop-keepers were openly selling it as they would sell vegetables. They admitted that they were selling it illegally. We have seized the packets,” he said. He added that some shop-keepers were unaware that these were banned products and were selling them out of ignorance.
“After seizing the material, we also carried out an awareness programme for the shop-keepers. They don’t know that it causes cancer. Every week, we carry out raids. So, awareness among shop-keepers is the first step. Even after that if they don’t obey, we confiscate the products,” he said.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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