Tobacco growers in Karnataka have urged the Government to drop the proposed amendments to the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) Bill stating that any move to curb tobacco cultivation will impact their livelihoods.
In a memorandum to the Government, the growers have appealed that status quo should be maintained on COTPA.
Though there are many regulations, the Union Government is proposing a new Bill COTPA 2015 to still curtail the cigarette tobacco, while neglecting the non-cigarette types of tobacco such as bidi, zarda and other chewing tobaccos, it said.
This shows the discriminatory policies of the Central Government on cigarette type of tobaccos, the Karnataka Virginia Tobacco Growers' Association said in a statement.
It said that only 12 per cent of the tobacco is being used in the form of cigarettes and the remaining 88 per cent is consumed in the form of beedis, zarda and other chewing products. But 80 per cent of the tax collected from tobacco is from cigarettes.
The association said that tobacco in Karnataka is grown in rainfed condition and marginal lands, where no other crops can sustain.
"As of now we don’t have any alternative crop which is as remunerative as tobacco. Out of 300 million kg of cigarette tobacco produced in India only 30 per cent (90 million kg) is used domestically. Whereas in non-cigarette types, of the 550 mkg, produced up to 90 per cent (495 mkg) is consumed domestically. This shows which type of tobacco should be regulated in order to control the consumption," the association said.