TN: Centre's order on skull mark on beedi packets to defer

Chennai, May 9: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today urged the Centre to defer its order, making it mandatory to print skull mark on beedi packets in the interests of lakhs of workers in the beedi industry.

Replying to remarks made by some members during zero hour in the State Assembly, he said like the Tamil Nadu government, which had dropped the satellite township project to uphold democracy in the wake of protests from various quarters, the Centre should also defer the implementation of the order issued by the Union Health Ministry on printing of skull marks in beedi packets.

The Centre should put on hold for the time being and could take it up at a later stage, he said and pointed to the letter written by him to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss on the issue.

Mr Karunanidhi said he had read reports in the media that in view of the letter written by him, the Centre had constituted a three-member committee headed by Pranab Mukherjee to study the issue.

''Hope our views wll also be heard (on the issue),'' he added.

Referring to criticisms from PMK on the issue, Mr Karunanidhi said in his letter to the Prime Minister and the Union Minister, he had not demanded withdrawal of the order. ''I had only urged the Centre to defer its implementation to solve the impasse.'' ''Though the Centre had passed the order in good intention, if there is public outcry, the best example for a government is to defer it and consider it at a later stage,'' he said and referred to the Satellite township project which was dropped by his government following vociferous protests from the PMK, a key ally of the ruling DMK.

UNI