New Delhi: The parliamentary committee on subordinate legislation examining the provisions of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 is all set to urge the government to “curtail” its proposal to increase the size of pictorial warnings on tobacco packets to 85 per cent. The notification will come into effect from April 1. Instead, the committee is of the view that the warning on cigarette packets should be increased to 50 per cent on both sides of the principal display area and only 50 per cent on “one side” of beedi pack.
Arguing that “tobacco” plays a “very important” role in the economy of the country, with beedi industry being a “unique feature” of the country, the panel is of the view that government should “stress on education and awareness programmes and at the same time protect the livelihood of tobacco workers involved in it.” It may be noted that the government had earlier deferred their move to increase the pictorial warnings last year on the suggestion of the parliamentary panel which claimed that the studies in this regard have come from abroad and it was important to consider Indian aspect and, hence, the notification was put on abeyance.
The health ministry recently notified the new warnings. However, days before new warnings could come into effect, the panel met on Friday and is all set to recommend the government to bring down the size of the warnings for cigarette products and to “re-consider” their decision to cover beedi industry under the amended rules. It may be noted that parliamentarian Shyam Charan Gupta, who is one of the members of the committee, is a beedi baron.
Citing that the proposed graphic health warnings have potential to “severely” affect the Indian farmers and companies, the committee opines that “efforts should be for discouraging tobacco use and to find and promote alternatives for workers involved in beedi industry,” said the set of recommendations which are in access of this newspaper.
Accusing that the new warnings have been notified without any consultation with the stakeholders of the tobacco industry, the committee has said that “besides causing significant rise in illicit tobacco products in the country, the proposed health warnings would severely impact the domestic cigarette industry. Moreover, not only it will result in a revenue loss to the government but would effect the livelihood of tobacco farmers in the country,” it added.
The panel has also said that the ministry of commerce submitted that the health warnings of 2008-2009 did not lead to any decline but has increased the consumption of domestic tobacco. Calling the decision to increase the warnings to 85 per cent as “too hard”, the committee recommends the government to have a “balanced approach” and increase it to 50 per cent only on both sides of the principal display area instead of 85 per cent,” it adds.
