Parliament panel concerned more about business and not health

NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha panel that deferred implementation of a Health Ministry notification to increase size of pictorial warnings from 40% to 85% on packets of tobacco products appears to have been guided by the impact it will have on those dependent on the manufacture and trade of such goods than the health hazard cigarettes and bidis cause to consumers.

The 15-member Lok Sabha Committee on Subordinate Legislation that submitted its report to the House on March 18 mainly espouses the cause of bidi workers dependent on its manufacture and sale to underline that the pictorial warning should not occupy 85% of the packet. Incidentally, it argues that the norm of 40% should be continued for cigarettes as well though arguments cited in the panel's report are mainly about bidi. As per the recommendation of this panel, the amendment to Cigaretteand Other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Rules, 2008 that was to come into effect from April 1, 2015 has been deferred. 12 of the 15 members of the Lok Sabha Committee on Subordinate Legislation signed on the report while four abstained.

There were no dissenting notes. While ruling BJP which had eight members in the committee-seems to have drawn most of the flak for this decision, those who gave their consent to the report include two members from the Congress and one each from AIADMK, BJD and SDF. The four who abstained are from BJP (2), TMC and RLSP (one each).

The panel’s report has given some very interesting reasons to emphasise that the size of pictorial warnings (of the 85%, 60% has to be pictorial and the remaining 20% for textual warning) should not be increased from the present 40%.

"The increase in size of the specified health warning from 40% to 85% is arbitrary, excessive and unreasonable... In case of conical packs of bidis, there will be no space left to inscribe all statutory requirements under various laws and displaying information like brand name, name and address of manufacture," the report states.
It also maintains that based on representations from All India Bidi Industry Federation and others, there is a need for an "in depth study on the socio-economic effect to address the concern of farmers, farm labourers, bidi workers, tendu leaves pickers, tribals, etc. covering aspects like findings alternative cash crops and viable means of livelihood, development of skill requirements for transition to such alternatives, time frame and capital required for new alternatives."

Some members of the panel have been involved with manufacture of tobacco products but they did not recuse themselves from the sittings of the Committee when issue was discussed.