The Hindu Business Line : Bengal bidi industry calls for 5-day strike

PEEVED over the non-resolution of various critical issues affecting both manufacturers and workers of the organised bidi industry in West Bengal, despite various representations from time to time, the Federation of Biri, Biri Leaves & Tobacco Merchants (which has all India membership) here, has called for a 5-day strike by the industry in the production belts of Bengal.

Bidi manufacturing, nationally, has a workforce of around eight million, and in Bengal alone, there are well over 10 lakh workers directly involved in production and processing of bidis. The strike is also supported by other traders in the area, who will be downing shutters for two days.

Talking to Business Line from his office in Aurangabad (in Murshidabad district of North Bengal), Mr Rejaul Karim, Joint Secretary, Dhulian, Aurangabad Bidi Merchants Association and General Manager of Pataka Industries, the largest player in the organised bidi sector, said the key demands of the industry were as follows:

a) Partial modification of the Tobacco Act, 2003 for relief to the bidi sector in terms of size of labelling, health warnings, including skull & bones depiction, tax content etc.;

b) Putting an end to delay and harassment by the Regional Provident Commissioners' Office with regard to settlement of bidi workers' PF claims;

c) Simplification of TDS and new service tax rules as applicable to the cottage-based bidi sector;

d) Re-think on the excise exemption given to small unbranded bidi manufacturers producing below the stipulated quantity of 20 lakh sticks per day.

Mr Karim described the last mentioned as a farce, as there was wholesale misuse of this incentive by some unscrupulous persons, who purchase manufactured bidis from the village workers in the different regions, and sell or supply these unbranded bidis to other traders.

Says Mr Mustak Hossain, Chairman and Managing Director of Pataka Industries: "These persons run a parallel industry, as big as ours, and get away by not paying a single paise of excise duty or other duties, and benefits such as PF etc. to the gullible workers."

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