The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Defer move to put skull symbols on beedis: Karunanidhi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 07, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Defer move to put skull symbols on beedis: Karunanidhi

Staff Reporter

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi has requested the Centre to defer its decision to introduce the skull symbol on beedi packs as it threatened the livelihood of the State's 15 lakh beedi workers.

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has made it mandatory to print a prominent skull and crossbones symbol on all tobacco products from June 1, in an effort to sensitise users to the dangers of smoking.

In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss on Sunday, the Chief Minister noted that, due to the Centre's order, beedi production in the State had been stopped, with the industry threatening an indefinite strike from June 1. The workers had been reduced to a state of disappointment and despair, he said.

Pointing out that the cost of beedi manufacturing was higher in Tamil Nadu than in other States as the wages paid to beedi workers is higher here, Mr. Karunanidhi said the new order would push production costs even higher.

"While smoking is to be discouraged by all means, as the new order has caused confusion among lakhs of beedi workers, I kindly request you to defer the decision to introduce skull mark to a better future and protect the livelihood of lakhs of families of beedi workers," the letter said.

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