President of Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative (Campco) Ltd. Konkodi Padmanabha said here on Tuesday that the cooperative had learnt that the Union government had conducted a meeting on March 10 in connection with banning arecanut. The government should come out with details of the meeting, he said.
Addressing presspersons he said that the government should reveal who all participated in the meeting.
Mr. Padmanabha said that it is learnt that the meeting has decided that Department of Health and Family Welfare and Department of Agriculture should focus on banning arecanut. The government should clarify on this, he said.
No one to argueMr. Padmanabha claimed that the State government had not appointed anyone to argue in favour of arecanut growers in Ankur Gutka vs. Indian Asthma Care Society and Others case pending before the Supreme Court. He claimed that the Union government had not taken steps to withdraw an affidavit filed before the court in connection to this case in which Mr. Padmanabha claimed that it has been stated that arecanut consumption is injurious to health.
