Rupandehi. Tilottama Municipality of Rupandehi has banned the sale and distribution of gutkha products since Chaitra 1, 2079 BS. The municipality has already declared it a gutkha-related prohibited area during a ceremony.
The municipality has also formulated a procedure called the Procedure for Controlling the Sale and Distribution of Gutkha Products, 2079 BS. The procedure states that the use of gutkha products has a serious impact on human health and urban beauty.
Sub-section 1 of Section 6 of the procedure states that for monitoring the sale and distribution of gutkha products, the municipal level monitoring committee shall consist of the municipal deputy mayor coordinator, the economic development committee coordinator, the forest environment and disaster management committee coordinator, the revenue branch coordinator, the local chief of Nepal Police, a representative of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a representative of the Chamber of Commerce, a representative of the industrial and trade organization, and the municipal police in-charge as members.
Similarly, the sub-section 1 of Section 7 states that the tole level monitoring committee shall consist of the ward chairperson coordinator, one ward member from among the ward members designated by the ward chairperson, the chairperson of the tole development network, the ward children’s network, and the ward children’s network. It has been mentioned that there will be three representatives from clubs, organizations, and mothers’ groups, two from health institutions, the local chief representative of Nepal Police, and the ward secretary.
Fineness is also prescribed in Sub-section 1 of Section 4 of the said procedure. If found selling and distributing gutkha products for the first time, a fine of Rs 10,000 has been imposed on wholesalers and Rs 1,500 on other businessmen.
Similarly, a fine of Rs 20,000 has been imposed on wholesalers and Rs 2,000 on other businessmen for the second time. The procedure states that if found for the third time, a fine of Rs 50,000 has been imposed on wholesalers and Rs 5,000 on other businessmen.
Locals say that recently gutkha products have been sold and distributed openly in the municipality. They complain that the fine for those selling and distributing them is limited to the procedure. There is a lack of awareness among businessmen rather than fines. Such things that affect the body in the long term are found in abundance, especially when hidden in grocery stores.
Tulsi Neupane, Chairman of Tilottama-1 Shivachowk Toll Development Organization, said that since it is easily available in other municipalities, there has been no reduction in the consumption of gutkha, indiscriminate throwing and indiscriminate spitting. Toll Development Chairman Neupane said that the use of clean and hygienic Tilottama gutkha and its indiscriminate spitting have raised questions about its appropriateness and have made everyone ashamed.
Sub-section 1 of Section 7 of the Procedure has provided for the ward chairperson to be the coordinator of the toll-level monitoring committee. Ward No. 1 Ward Network Chairman Dilliram Kandel complained that despite the announcement made during a grand program, he did not participate in the monitoring even once.
Ward No. 1 Ward Chairman Farsuram Giri says that despite the announcement by the city, there has been no decrease in sales, distribution and consumption. Although there was a little monitoring during the announcement, Ward Chairman Giri admits that the monitoring has been very thin in recent days. Giri said that during the recent monitoring in the driver toll bazaar area and the market area of Ward No. 1, it was found that the substance was sold and distributed insignificantly.
Similarly, Ward No. 17 Ward Chairman Dan Bahadur Chaudhary said that the monitoring has been thinned out, understanding the busyness of people in various areas. He says, ‘Since the monitoring team also had to include students from the children’s network, the monitoring has not been carried out as quickly as expected.’ Chairman Chaudhary says that the businessmen were only warned without taking any action.
From 2080 BS, 2080 BS, more than 13 shops in the city have been warned and seized to control the sale and distribution of gutkha products, said Nara Prasad Shrestha, in-charge of the city police.
He said that 41 shops have been seized with fines so far. Police In-charge Shrestha informed that Rs 86,500 in revenue has been collected from fines for gutkha products so far, and 2010 packets and 1,356 gutkha products have been seized.
With the recent addition of the municipal police to the municipality, the municipality will continue to work to control the sale and distribution of gutkha products and monitor them more effectively, said Shrestha. Mayor Ramkrishna Khand admits that despite the municipality banning the sale and distribution of gutkha products, there has been no reduction in the sale and distribution within the city.
Mayor Khand says, ‘To completely stop this, we will make the people of the Toll Development Committee and students cut the receipts, doing this will improve the situation a lot.’ The municipality has recently added 15 municipal police officers, bringing the total number of municipal police officers to 21, and the municipality has stated that it will now tighten monitoring.
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