Thank You , Shri Sanjay Kumar

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Sub:  Warning on Tobacco  Product Packages.

                 Udyog Bhawan, New Delhi

Dated: .<.6/04/2016

,,

The Undersigned  is directed  to forward  herewith the following  letters/representations for action/as appropriate:

1.  Representation   dated  29.03.2016   received  from   Federation   of  All  India   Farmers Associations      related  to  Appeal  from  tobacco  farmers  to  align  policies  for  graphic health warnings   with   other   tobacco   producing   countries   and   safeguard    farmer livelihoods      under threat due to propaganda by globally funded  NGOs.

2.      Letter dated 03.04.201'6 received from Shri Hemen Parekh regarding warning  images on cigarette packs.

3.  Letter  dated   05.04.2016   received  from  The  Tobacco   Institute  of  India  regarding

Pictorial Warnings  on Tobacco Product Packages.

Encl: As above.

 Sanjay Kumar Lal

 Under Secretary to the Government  of India

Tel No. 23062906

	To, Shri Amal Pusp Director(IH/IClTobacco)
	Department of Health and Family Welfare
	Room No. 406 '0' Wing, 3rd  Floor Nirman Bhawan New Delhi-110011
,	E-maiIID:<amal.pusp@gmail.com>
	Copy to:
	1.  Federation  of All  India  Farmer  Associatioru  Plot	No. 4-19-1/24,  2nd   Line Vijayapuri,
	JKC     College     Road,     Guntur     -      522006,	Andhra      Pradesh,     E-Mail     10:

contact.faifa@grnail.com   .

2.  Shri Hemen Parekh, E-MaiIIO:hcp@recruitguru.com 

    .

3.                              Shri  Syed  Mahmood  Ahmad,  Director,  The  Tobacco   Institute  of  India,  316-318,  3rd Floor, Block 'E', International  Trade Tower, Nehru Place, New Delhi  110019, E-Mail ID tii@tiionline.org .

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Thank  You ,  Shri  Sanjay  Kumar  Lal

For responding and for forwarding my following mail ( blog ) , to Sri

 Amal Pusp

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Ambiguity is Bad !

Where  ?

*  Health Ministry wants warning images on cigarette packs to cover 85% of the surface , against earlier rule of 40%

*  A Parliamentary Committee had recommended 50 %

Reaction :

*  From friday ( 01 April 2016 ) , all cigarette factories have shut down in protest ,

According to Tobacco Institute of India , this will cause,

   #  Daily revenue loss of Rs 350 Crores

   #  Threatening livelihood of 45.7 million people dependent on the Industry

   #  Increase in trade in illegal cigarettes ( which already causes an annual

       revenue loss of Rs 9,000 cr to the exchequer )

What should Government do ?

 Negotiate with the Industry and reach Agreement , using my suggestion as under :

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Source : my blog dt 18 Aug 2013

 Going Up in Smoke ?

Yesterday , Times of India reported :

India's tobacco industry supports 38 million people ( 380 lakhs )

Every year , some 6 million ( 60 lakh ) people die in India thru use of tobacco ( mostly cigarettes )

Of these , some 6 lakh die by inhaling smoke of other cigarette smokers

So what can we do to save these 60 lakh ?

Immediately close down entire tobacco industry ?

And jeopardize the lives of 380 lakh  ?

Obviously , we cannot adopt a mutually exclusive solution !

We must find a solution that , not only saves those 60 lakh but also continue to provide livelihood to 380 lakhs

That cannot be done in one - or even five - years , but it is entirely possible to solve this problem over , 20 years , as follows :

*   Thru appropriate legislation , phase out tobacco industry by 2033

*   Immediately stop expansion of existing units

*   Do not allow new units to come up

*   Place a recruitment freeze in tobacco industry - no fresh hiring at any level

*   No replacement for retiring employees , after 2018

*   Provide incentives to industry to redeploy capital / manpower in alternate industries - especially those industries with large scope for creation of new jobs

*   Give generous tax-breaks to industry to remain profitable , even as they wind-up operations

*   Provide incentives to put up new-industry projects in less industrialized regions

*   Provide incentives for re-training existing workers in new skills in demand by others

*   Subsidize Voluntary Retirement Schemes of industry

This is just a partial list . I am sure , if there is political will , experts will come up with many more viable suggestions

Hint :

If Shri Piyush Goyal can plan on banning all petrol / diesel driven vehicles on roads from 2030 , then banning cigarettes from 2036 , ought to be a " Child's Play " !

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hemenparekh.in / blogs

03  April  2016