Govt committed to welfare of Beedi workers: Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya

New Delhi: Union Labour & Employment Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya said the Modi government is committed to the welfare of beedi workers and their families with the help of several welfare schemes.

Addressing at the launch of the book titled The Need to Preserve, Protect, and Promote Beedi Workers' Livelihood on Wednesday, the minister stressed that the mantra of the Modi government is "sabka saath sabka vikas".

He said welfare of poor people, farmers, and labourers is the top priority of the Modi government.

The book was released by the All India Bidi Industry Federation (AIBIF), in partnership with the Triniketan Foundation for Development, New Delhi.

The book is authored by Dr Anila Nair and Dr M M Rehman.

Other dignitaries included Praful Bhai Patel, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, Dr Ashwani Mahajan, National Convenor, Swadeshi Jagran Manch, and B Surendran, All India Organising Secretary, Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh.

The guests launched major studies on the Triniketan Foundation's website (triniketanfoundation.org.in) along with two micro studies conducted in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, and Bagdah, West Bengal.

The study revealed that for many women workers, beedi rolling is more than just a job; it is a means of dignity and self-reliance. It provides them with an opportunity to earn a livelihood from the comfort of their homes, sparing them the burden of transport costs.

Several women shared how this opportunity had empowered them with agency and independence.

This impact is especially visible in Solapur, Bengaluru, Mysore, and Mandya.

The event called for reconsideration of GST on beedis, stressing that for millions, beedi rolling is more than an industry and it's a lifeline.

The event aimed to highlight the plight of beedi workers brought together over 25 Members of Parliament and assemblies cutting across political parties, alongside major trade union representatives, officials from the Department of Labour, and beedi workers from Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal.

Praful Patel said, "It is important that people have access to employment, and the beedi industry's key characteristic is that it provides employment in small villages where jobs are scarce." Dr Ashwani Mahajan, National Co-Convener, Swadeshi Jagaran Manch, said since the increase in taxation (GST) on beedis to 28 per cent from very low excise duty in the past; there has been large-scale dumping by cheap cigarettes from China causing a huge loss to the exchequer, apart from major loss of employment from this major labour-intensive industry.