Shimla, Jul 13 - Taking a giant step in its war against tobacco products in the state, the Himachal Pradesh government today announced a ban on the manufacture and sale of gutka and paan masala containing tobacco.

"Himachal Government has made storage, manufacture, sale or distribution of gutka, pan masala, masheri, khaini, and such food products illegal and the persons doing so will be proceeded against as per provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006," an official spokesperson said here.

"Such food business operators would neither be registered nor issued a license for the same," the spokesman added.

Himachal, which had already banned the smoking at the public places, has become the fourth state after Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Bihar to ban these products. PTI