Question : Hazardous Health Effects of Beedi Rolling

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) the details of the steps taken by the Government to ensure protection of women and children from the hazardous health effects of beedi rolling;

(b) whether the Government has taken any steps to create awareness among women regarding such hazardous health effects of beedi rolling and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether there is any State specific training given to grassroot level workers (ASHA, ANM, Anganwadi) about harmful effects of beedi rolling and if so, the details thereof; and

(d) the steps taken/being taken for the welfare of women engaged in beedi rolling?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)
(a) to (d): The Central Government has enacted the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 (COTPA, 2003) to discourage the use of tobacco including beedi, through various measures on both demand and supply side.

Under the National Tobacco Control Programme Guidelines, 2015, States/Union Territories organize training programmes on adverse health effects of tobacco use for multiple-stakeholders including ASHAs, ANM, etc.

There are 12 Hospitals and 286 Dispensaries under Labour Welfare Organisation of Ministry of Labour and Employment across the country to provide health care facilities to Beedi workers and their families. They also organize health camps for awareness of effect of beedi rolling to beedi workers in all the States.

Ministry of Labour and Employment has initiated a Skill Development Programme for beedi workers and their dependants with an objective to provide viable alternative vocation. As a part of this programme beedi rollers are being sensitized to shift towards other jobs.
Several schemes such as Educational Schemes, Revised Integrated Housing Scheme (RIHS), 2016 and Health Scheme are being implemented for the welfare of beedi workers. The details of these Schemes under Ministry of Labour and Employment are at Annexure.