Mangaluru : Beedi workers take out massive rally against COTPA

Mangaluru : Beedi workers take out massive rally against COTPA

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Feb 10, 2016 : Thousands of beedi workers under the aegis of the AITUC, BMS, CITU, HMS and Beedi Contractors Union took out a protest rally from  Ambedkar Circle to the    football ground behind the Town Hall on February  9, Tuesday to demand  the withdrawal of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA).The protestors also submitted a memorandum to Union Minister for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya in support of their  demands.



 

The protestors have demanded that alternate employment opportunities are provided to beedi workers before implementing any anti-tobacco policy and also to withdraw the proposed  COTPA guidelines.

Addressing a press meet  later, Balakrishna Shetty, President of CITU  said the implementation of the COTPA would hit hard the over 1.3 crore people who rely on the beedi industry for their livelihood.

The government need to adopt  well planned policies rather than unproven policies, he said. He further added that  the COTPA Amendment and the 85% graphic health warnings are detrimental to the beedi industry as increasing the size of graphic warnings from the existing 40% to 85% was not possible.