Shivani Pandey –
Published on: August 16, 2021 16:15 IST
Ex- MLA Narsayya Adam representing nearly 70,000 women workers associated with manufacturing of bidis from Solapur, filed an interference application in the Bombay High Court opposing the Court’s suggestion of a temporary ban on sale of bidis and cigarettes during the Pandemic.
The application, filed through Advocate Sarang Aradhye last month, sought permission to interfere with the PIL by city-based lawyer Sneha Marjadi asserting improper Covid-19 management in Maharashtra.
The application mentioned that “If any adverse orders are passed in the matter, it will be impossible for the thousands of women workers to survive as their livelihood is solely dependent on sale of bidis, and there is absence of material including research about Covid-19 victims addicted to smoking. Therefore, it was necessary to hear the petitioners before passing any such directions”.
Recommending an interim ban on sale of Cigarettes and bidis during the Pandemic, a Bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Girish S Kulkarni on April 22 had sought a reply from the State and Central Government.
The Court had stated it was of the opinion of consideration of such a ban by the Governments as the Covid-19 virus affects the lungs and weak lungs are critically affected.
In June this year, the State Government had submitted a June 15 report which gave reference to several researches and worldwide studies indicating that smokers were likely to be more vulnerable to Covid-19 Infection.
Nonetheless, the State Government had told the High Court that it was not planning any such drastic step of ‘blanket order’ at present stage.
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