Guwahati: The Assam state
Budget for 2016-17 has proposed increasing the tax on cigarettes to dissuade
its consumption, but has strangely remained silent on the matter of increasing
tax on bidis, which are more harmful than even cigarettes. State Finance
Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sharma has mentioned in his Budget speech about the
ill-effects of tobacco and related products on human health. These have
long-term negative impact on the overall society. The government pursues
various steps to dissuade consumers of tobacco products and increasing the tax
on such products is one such measure of the government. But there was no
proposal to increase tax levied on bidis. Bidi smoking causes cancer and
various other diseases in the human body. The people in the lower economic
strata of the society smoke bidis due to relatively lesser price and fall
victim to various ailments caused by it. The expenses incurred in treatment
further breaks the backbone of such already-economically marginalized families.
The government’s proposal to increase VAT on cigarettes is a welcome one, but
such increase in tax is also needed in case of bidis.
Altogether 39.4% of the people
in Assam consume tobacco. The total percentage of bidi smoking people is 5.3,
which forms 11,56,380 people in real numbers. While on an average 29,600 people
die yearly due to diseases caused by tobacco consumption in Assam, another
9,000 people die on an average in the state annually in ailments caused by bidi
consumption. The all-India percentage of tobacco consumption is 34.6.
Altogether 7,88,71,303 people smoke bidis in the country. The national average
of people who die of diseases caused by tobacco consumption is 5,80,000. While
5500 new children start tobacco consumption per day in the country, the figure
for children beginning to take up tobacco consumption in Assam is 140 daily.
According to Dr Ashok Das, who
is the Assam state coordinator for Voice of Tobacco Victims and senior surgeon
of Head and Neck department in Dr B Barooah Cancer Institute, Guwahati, bidi
smoking is more lethal than cigarette smoking. Smoking bidi leads to cancer.
The government should increase VAT on bidis, just as it has done in case of
cigarettes. Dilip Gogoi, who had contracted cancer due to bid smoking, said, “I
had been consuming tobacco for 30-35 years, which eventually led to cancer on
my tongue. I feel that no person should develop such addiction. Especially, the
youth should be wary of falling victim to such addictions.” Another person who
contracted cancer due to bidi smoking, Abdul Rahman, said, “Had I known that
bidi smoking would lead to cancer and cause such trauma, I would have steered
clear of this addiction. Not just me, but my entire family is being punished
for my bad habit.”
The Leader of Opposition in
the Assam Assembly, Debabrata Saikia, said the VAT on bidis should be
increased, along with the proposed increase in VAT on cigarettes. “We will draw
the attention of the Finance minister to this issue in the next sitting of the
Assembly.” Saikia pointed that all tobacco products, including bidi, are
injurious to health. He said it must be ensured that people do not fall easy
victims to these addictions. He stressed on the need for awareness generation
against tobacco consumption, along with increasing tax as a deterrent. Social
activist and Padma Shri awardee Ajay Lal Dutta said the government should
pursue all measures necessary to deter people from taking up tobacco
consumption. There should be no subsidies or concessions on tobacco products.
The wide abuse of tobacco products is causing rot in our society. The VAT on
bidi should be increased as has been done on cigarettes.
Cigarettes Existing VAT rates(per thousand
sticks) Proposed VAT rates
A.Filter
cigarettes of length
Rs 1,600 Rs.1,850
exceeding 75mm
B.
Filter cigarettes of length
Rs 1,225 Rs.1,450
exceeding 70mm but not
exceeding 75mm
C.Filter
cigarettes of length
Rs 810 Rs 975
exceeding 65mm but not
exceeding 70mm
D.Filter
cigarettes of length
Rs 550 Rs 775
exceeding 60 mm but not
exceeding 65mm
E.Cigarettes
not falling in any Rs
1,600
Rs 1,850
Of the above category
F.Other
than filter cigarettes not
Does not exit Rs 750
Exceeding 65mm
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