KARIMNAGAR: A large number of women engaged in beedi rolling staged a massive dharna in front of the Collectorate here on Monday seeking withdrawal of the controversial order making it mandatory to print a warning, including a skull and crossbones sign, on beedi packets.

The women, who had assembled under the banner of Andhra Pradesh Beedi Workers' Joint Action Committee, marched in procession from the Circus grounds to the Collectorate where they squatted, obstructing traffic for about three hours.

Their contention was that G.O. No. 297 would deprive lakhs of beedi workers of their livelihood.

Later, they staged a `rasta roko' in front of the busy bus stand area for nearly one hour. Traffic came to a grinding halt in the area. Trade union leaders belonging to the IFTU, the AITUC, the BMS, the TNTUC, the AIFTU and others participated.

Indefinite closure

Womenfolk contented that the requirement of printing the warning from February 1, 2007, on beedi packets alone would force the beedi companies to close down and render lakhs of them jobless.

They said that the beedi companies had already announced indefinite closure of companies in protest against the G.O.

They said that the G.O. should be applicable to all the tobacco companies and not beedi companies alone.

They said that a woman who rolls about 1,000 beedis a day earns about Rs. 60.

ADILABAD: Beedi workers staged protests against the implementation of the G.O. A large number of women beedi workers took out a rally and staged a dharna in front of the Collectorate here.

Later, they submitted a memorandum to Collector R. Subba Rao seeking scrapping of the G.O.

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