Recall planned changes in COTPA: FRAI urges PM

Hyderabad: Federation of Retailer Association of India (FRAI) recently appealed to the Prime Minister to intervene and order recall of the proposed amendments in the COTPA law, which threaten to further attack the livelihoods of petty retailers selling tobacco and tobacco-based products across India.

The Telangana Chapter of FRAI, following a protest rally, appealed to the Chief Minister Chandrashekar Rao to save the interests and livelihoods of around 6.5 lakh micro retailers and their 30 lakh dependants in the State.

FRAI vice president and Hyderabad unit general secretary of Panshop Owners' Association of India Sallauddin Deccani said, "Already India has the toughest tobacco control laws in the world which has led to degrowth in legal tobacco consumption.

The coronavirus-triggered lockdowns have added to the conditionsadded to the woes of the small retailers.He said,"Any further adverse policy, which destabilises their business will be devastating."

The proposed changes under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) Amendment Bill, 2020that severely affect the small retailers are: Prohibiting sale of tobacco products to persons below 21 years; Limiting in-shop advertisement and promotion among others.

"As per law, we do not sell tobacco products to minors," he said.

Terming the proposed changes as impractical, he said, "Conditions such as increasing the minimum distance for setting up of shops near an educational institution would affect the petty traders in the busy towns and cities."

Current laws have only helped illicit and smuggled cigarettes to grow benefiting anti-social element, he added.

The petty retailers requested exemption from licensing as required in the proposed amendment.

FRAI believes that a few NGOs who work for foreign companies are constantly pressurizing the government to enforce unfair and unimplementable laws against small shopkeepers. These policies are helping big foreign and ecommerce companies at the cost of business of petty retailers, the FRAI members lamented.