Daijiworld Media Network-Mangaluru (RJP)

Mangaluru, Apr 8: All India beedi industries federation (AIBIF) has decided to stop production of beedies protesting the decision of the central government to print health warning on 85 % space of the beedi packets.

Arjun Khanna, a member of AIBIF in New Delhi, has said that “It is not practical to print the warning using such big space. We will also stop the production of beedies as the cigarette manufacturers did.” The federation has 240 beedi manufacturers in the country. 70 % of beedi production in the country comes from the member manufacturers of this federation. It is estimated that Rs 200 crore losses will be suffered everyday due to stoppage of beedi production.

According to data, 2 crore people are dependent on beedi industry while 80 lacs people are directly gain from this industry. Beedi industry is the biggest employer after agriculture. The federation thinks that such policies eventually will destroy the industry and lacs of people will become unemployed.

The federation has demanded alternative employment opportunities to the people who are presently dependant on the industry as government is determined to close the industry. They said it is impossible to increase space of printing from 40 % to 85 %. The parliamentary committee had recommended 50 % space, but the government has not positively responded to this.

The implication of the stoppage of production is very bad on coastal districts as a significant percentage of the population here has been dependant of beedi industry for decades.