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Tobacco industry losing Rs 350 crore a day: Assocham

Published

8 years ago

on

tobacco

New Delhi: India’s tobacco industry is losing Rs.350 crore every day as cigarette makers have shut their factories due to lack of clarity over the proposed health warnings on packets, industry lobby Assocham said on Tuesday.

“Livelihood of more than 45 million people engaged in the tobacco industry across India is being threatened due to this ambiguity on policy related to graphic health warnings on tobacco products,” Assocham told the central government.

It said closed operations of cigarette makers have opened the floodgates for illegal imports to the extent of 90 percent and has led to exponential growth in sales of duty-evaded illegal cigarettes without pictorial health warnings.

The legal cigarette industry accounts for just 11 percent of tobacco consumption across India due to high taxation.

The industry organisation said the acute financial distress faced by farmers engaged in tobacco farming has led to an increase in farmer suicides in major tobacco growing states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana.

Assocham said the government exchequer was being denied one-fifth of the total tobacco industry revenue — over Rs.9,000 crore — which has in turn led to a sharp rise in seizure of contraband cigarettes, thereby converting India into a major global hub for smuggled cigarettes.

The union health ministry notified that tobacco products are required to have pictorial warning on 85 percent of packaging space.

Assocham said the global average size of pictorial warnings on tobacco products was about 31 percent of packaging space.

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Corona

Covid toll in Karnataka is a worrying sign for state government

Published

2 years ago

on

May 4, 2022

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Even though Karnataka recorded the lowest number of Covid deaths in April since the virus struck first in 2020, the state is recording a rise in the positivity rate (1.50 per cent). Five people died from the Covid infections in April as per the statistics released by the state health department. In March, the positivity rate stood around 0.53 per cent. In the first week of April it came down to 0.38 per cent, second week registered 0.56 per cent, third week it rose to 0.79 per cent and by end of April the Covid positivity rate touched 1.19 per cent.

on an average 500 persons used to succumb everyday in the peak of Covid infection, as per the data. Health experts said that the mutated Coronavirus is losing its fierce characteristics as vaccination, better treatment facilities and awareness among the people have contributed to the lesser number of Covid deaths.

During the 4th and 6th of April two deaths were reported in Bengaluru, one in Gadag district on April 8, two deaths were reported from Belagavi and Vijayapura on April 30. The first Covid case was reported in the state in March 2020 and three Covid deaths were recorded in the month. In the following month 21 people became victims to the deadly virus, and May 2020 recorded 22 deaths. The death toll recorded everyday after May crossed three digits. However, the third wave, which started in January 2

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