Yogi bans gutka, paan in UP government offices

Lucknow: Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday directed officers to ban “paan”, gutka and other tobacco products in all government offices in the state.

The 44-year -old chief minister directed Uttar Pradesh government officials to stop chewing paan, paan masala etc when in office, after seeing betel-juice stained walls during his first visit to the secretariat annexe building here.

“The chief minister visited all the floors of the annexe building and met officials posted there. After detecting betel stains on walls, he asked employees not to consume paan or paan masala during duty hours and ensure cleanliness,” Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, who accompanied Yogi, said.

Adityanath also asked the staff to make the atmosphere in the building healthy and clean by avoiding the use plastic, Maurya told reporters.

The annexe, known as Lal Bahadur Shastri Bhawan, houses the chief minister’s office and his secretariat, offices of the state chief secretary, principal secretary (home) and other senior IAS officers.

— With PTI inputs