Bhubaneswar, March 11 -- In a significant development, the Orissa High Court on Wednesday issued an interim stay on a notification issued by the Government of Odisha banning the chewing of gutka and imposing restrictions on the sale of zarda tobacco in the state.

The stay order came after petitions were filed challenging the Odisha government's decision to prohibit the sale of chewing gutka and regulate the sale of zarda tobacco products. After hearing the matter, the High Court decided to put the government notification on hold until further examination of the case.

During the hearing, the court also issued a notice to the Government of Odisha, directing it to submit its response on the matter. The state government has been asked to cl...