Beedi crisis: Ordinance not possible now: Minister

Hyderabad, Nov 24 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Medical and Health Minister K Rosaiah today said there was need for the government to bring an ordinance to keep in abeyance the implementation of the Central GO 297, making it statutory for the printing of a skull on beedi packets to pictorially warn about dangers of smoking.

Mr Rosaiah, who rushed to New Delhi and held talks with Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss and Union Labour Minister Oscar Fernandez told newspersons on return here today that bringing in such an ordinance was not possible till the two Lok Sabha by-polls for the Karimnagar and Bobbili constituencies were over.

When reporters questioned the minister about the reports Mr Rosaiah said it was not possible to reverse the decision before the by polls.

About 12 lakh workers, most of whom were women, earn their livelihood by working in the beedi industry in the state.

The issue first erupted in Karimnagar where all the political parties blamed each other for the decision, as by-poll was due for the Karimnagar Lok Sabha seat on December 4, 2006.

Karimnagar district has nine beedi factories employing 2.5 lakh workers, of whom two lakh belong to the Karimnagar Lok Sabha Constituency alone. All the nine factories were in the constituency and the beedi workers form a seventh of the electorate of 14 lakh odd voters.

All the parties are trying to woo the voters working in these beedi factories and in the process are blaming each other for the central decision.

UNI JRK VR SAM ND2012