Four days after the Konkan railway police effected a major seizure of gutka at the Margao railway station, the police on Tuesday have confiscated another big consignment of banned tobacco product worth Rs 14 lakh. It is believed that the consignment was unloaded from the train and brought to the parcel room with the help of porters and loaders. It must be said that Goans, by and large, are not addicted to gutka. It may be recalled that in the past gutka which was labeled as “Goa” was available in the market. It is the migrant population in the state who are addicted to gutka. With the rising number of non-Goans residing in the state, the demand for gutka has only gone up. School students, especially in the villages, could also be addicted to gutka. This could be the first step towards drug addiction among the youth. An inquiry needs to be conducted into the seizures at the Margao railway station for which the railway police and the Goa police need to work in tandem so that the culprits are brought to book.
