The petty tobacco traders’ collective in the district has started mobilising the support of various State-level merchants’ organisations to exert pressure on the government to cease strict enforcement by the Police and Excise Departments.
The Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samiti (KVVES), on Saturday, expressed solidarity with the traders and urged the district administration to protect small traders.
Kozhikode district alone faced the burden of ‘over restriction.’ This affected the lives of hundreds of small traders, samiti office-bearers said. The traders were not being able to sell even permitted tobacco products, they said.
“The government can certainly prevent the unlawful functioning of such shops, such as ones close to schools or places of worship. But other shops should be allowed to operate,” they said.
Need for discretionKVVES State president T. Naziruddin said the government should stop seizing all tobacco products from shops. The sale of banned products should be prevented, he said.
“Action should be taken against the trade of banned items, but, people who operated as per rules should be allowed to function,” he said.
KVVES urged the government to strengthen the awareness campaigns against tobacco use rather than target the small traders. “Some of the traders have come up with complaints that they are not being allowed to stock beedi and cigarettes,” samiti office-bearers said.
