Invite tobacco industry bodies in COP 7 meet: FICCI,ASSOCHAM

Industry bodies FICCI and ASSOCHAM today requested Union Health Ministry to allow tobacco farming associations and trade bodies to take part in the global conference on tobacco control next week, which India is hosting for the first time.
In separate letters to Union Health secretary C K Mishra, both the bodies have said that these associations be invited to take part in the seventh Conference of Parties (COP 7) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) taking place from November 7-12 in Greater Noida.
"Through this letter, we wish to cordially request you to invite industry and tobacco farming associations to take part in the deliberations at the meet.

"For CoP7 to be able to chart out a cohesive and rational public policy on issues pertaining to the sector, it is imperative that there is sufficient representation from all relevant stakeholders at the meet," said A Dildar Singh Secretary General, FICCI in his letter.
He said that India is one of the world's top producers and exporters of tobacco and as its second largest producer, tobacco is an extremely important commercial crop of the country.
"The sector has a huge socio economic impact as there is a vast livelihood dependency of 45.7 million people right from tobacco farmers and farm workers to small, self employed retailers, besides being an important source of tax revenue for the government," the letter said.

In a separate letter ASSOCHAM secretary general D S Rawat said, "India is a global agricultural powerhouse. Indian agriculture supports more than 50 per cent population for livelihood and is the largest contributor to GDP i.E. 13 per cent. Tobacco has been one of the important cash crop which makes the farmers self reliant. Tobacco alone provides employment to 4.6 crore people in the country.
"We are requesting Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to invite all relevant stakeholder engage in the business of tobacco especially farmers and trade bodies representing tobacco industry".
Lobbying body CII has also written to the health ministry seeking participation of stakeholders associated with the tobacco industry in the 7th Conference of the Parties (COP7) beginning next week.