Tobacco Act implementation one-sided, to affect Beedi industry:AIB

New Delhi, Dec 17 (UNI) Ahead of the Tobacco, Cigarette, Bidi Act, 2003 coming into force from February 2007, the Beedi industry has accused the government of discrimination, saying the move would affect three crore workers associated with the industry.

The government has made it mandatory to publish the symbol of danger, skull and cross bones, under the Act, as well as mentioning on the beedi cover that every day 2,500 die due to beedi smoking.

This is besides giving the statutory warning of 'smoking is injurious to health'.

Stating out that the move is one sided, the trade unions including AITUC and CITU demanded the government to provide alternate means of income generation for the rurals, who eke out a living by making beedis.

''Even as 8,000 persons die everyday due to alcoholism, similar steps have not been taken against the liquor Industry. This is because of the MNCs under who's control liquor and cigarette industry are progressing,'' a statement by All India Beedi Industry Federation (AIBIF) said.

The federation also demended the government to exempt the industry from tax. ''The tax implementation will not only affect people involved in the hand made beedi industry, but also the farmers who rely only on tobacco farming,'' it said.

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