Mangaluru : Beedi workers, affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions and the All India Trade Unions Congress staged a dharna in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office here on Tuesday against the Union government’s move to amend the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Product Act, (COTPA) 2003.

The beedi workers marched from Town Hall to the Deputy Commissioner’s office demanding withdrawal of the ‘Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) (Amendment) Bill 2015’.

Addressing protestors here, Balakrishna Shetty, secretary of the district unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), said that there were nearly 10 lakh beedi workers in the State. Most of them did not have identity cards, log-books and other mandatory facilities.

In Mangaluru, beedi workers from different parts of the district marched from Town Hall to the office of the Deputy Commissioner where a protest meeting was held. Addressing the protestors, Centre of Indian Trade Union’s representative Prasanna said the present Bill to amend COTPA will destroy beedi industry in the region.

AITUC state secretary Seetharam Berinje said beedi workers were a respected lot during the time of elections, but once problems cropped up, nobody cared for them. “We condemn the government stand and demand that the Bill be withdrawn.”

The protesters later submitted a memorandum to the Union government through Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim.