JOIN USThe High Court has directed the Union government to furnish details of the number of people affected due to the use of tobacco.
During the hearing of a PIL by Cancer Patients’ Aid Association, the Division Bench comprising Chief Justice D H Waghela and Justice Ram Mohan Reddy had directed the Centre to come out with details by the next date of hearing. “Get us the official figures of those who are affected due to the use of tobacco. The Bench also sought to know how much fund the government had allocated for healthcare and the amount utilised for tobacco victims.
“There are respiratory problems and cancer-related diseases due to use of tobacco; give us those details so that we can rely upon them before we issue orders,” the Bench added.
During the hearing, the counsel for petitioners submitted that findings had revealed that not just the users of tobacco, even those who cultivated it were affected with health hazards.
When the Union government counsel submitted that the government did not grant subsidy to tobacco cultivation, as alleged by the petitioners, the counsel for the petitioners pointed to the Union government’s affidavit, where it mentions about the subsidy, and sought directions not to subsidise the cultivation of tobacco. The matter has been adjourned