The Anti Tobacco Forum (ATF), Mysuru, has criticised the Centre’s decision to waive the penalty on the excess and unauthorised tobacco cultivated by farmers in Karnataka during the 2023-24 crop season.
Terming the Centre’s recent decision to allow the farmers to sell the excess and unauthorised tobacco without penalty during the ensuing crop season as “violation of WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) 2003, ATF Convenor Vasanthkumar Mysoremath called upon the government to rescind the concessions given to tobacco farmers.
“Is India sincere about tobacco control? WHO must take notice of this blatant violation and interference with the National Tobacco Control Program”, he said before adding that the recent decision of the government was not acceptable under any count.
