UP Assembly Bans Pan Masala and Gutka Following Spitting Incident

The Uttar Pradesh Assembly has prohibited the consumption of pan masala and gutka within its premises after a spitting incident. Speaker Satish Mahana announced immediate penalties and urged members to maintain cleanliness. This coincides with the state's presentation of a 9.8% increased budget focusing on infrastructure.

The Uttar Pradesh Assembly took decisive action on Wednesday, instituting a ban on pan masala and gutka following a spitting incident that marred its chambers. Speaker Satish Mahana enforced the ban with immediate effect, accompanied by a fine of Rs 1,000 for violators.

On the eve of this announcement, Mahana disclosed that certain lawmakers were caught spitting pan masala within the Assembly hall. He described personally scrubbing the affected area and, while having identified the offender through video footage, chose not to publicly name them to prevent embarrassment.

Mahana urged members to take responsibility for keeping the Assembly clean, inviting the guilty party to come forward voluntarily. Meanwhile, the session also saw the discussion of the state's 2025-26 budget, presented by Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna, and emphasized by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as being 9.8% larger than the previous year, highlighting infrastructure advancements.

(With inputs from agencies.)