Health body wants bidis taxed
A report released by Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI) has highlighted the pitiable situation of bidi rollers in the districts of Murshidabad and Jangipur in West Bengal and Gujarat and urged the government to adopt steps to provide alternate employment while increasing taxes imposed on bidis.
The report pointed out that bidis were now being exported to around 30 countries with the volume being nearly 1029 ton.
Around 500,000 people were engaged in bidi rolling in Murshidabad.
Alok Mukhopadhyay, VHAI chief executive, stated diseases among bidi rollers were rising and so alternate employment should be provided by the government apart from increasing tax imposed on bidis.
Bidi rolling industry was seen as a cottage industry and managed to escape taxes this way, alleged Mukhopadhyay.
"Providing alternate livelihood is urgent and should be initiated - we are in talks with the ministry to assist people in seeking alternate forms of employment. While our civil aviation minister, Praful Patel, owns bidi units, VHAI will approach Pranab Mukherjee since it is in his constituency," claimed Mukhopadhyay
Around 800 million bidis were sold in the country every year and contributed about Rs 709.50 crore to the government coffers, but workers were one of the most exploited sections of the society.
They earned only Rs 30 after rolling around 1000 bidis per day and were affected diseases like tuberculosis, anaemia and cancer leading to about 600,000 deaths annually, the report said.
There were around 100 million bidi smokers in the country.