xDissertation (1)

Beedi Workers in Tripura: An Empirical Study

Beedi Workers in Tripura: An Empirical Study2015

Chapter-1 Introduction

Chapter-11. Introduction:

Beedi rolling is one of the most popular amongst unorganized industries specially, in some parts of the country. Women constitute a very high percentage of labour force in the industry. The reason for this is, firstly, the work is done generally from home and women can do it while at the same time attending to their children and other household chores; secondly, their deft fingers are more suited to the work of beedi rolling. Besides, women are considered to be more sincere and hardworking.

The home based system is very convenient to the employer too since, a factory system would mean regularization of the conditions of work and payment of minimum wages and other benefits as per the law; it also involves substantial expenditure on premises for the work. Apart from that, at the factory sites chances of workers collecting and interacting are much more which could mean demands and collective action by the workers. This could cause problems to the employers. In the home based systems the employer could reduce the production cost, deny proper wages and benefits to the workers and also keep away from the possibility of any collective action by the workers. (ncw.nic.in, 2015)

The unorganized sector in India is broadly characterized as consisting of units engaged in the production of goods and services with the primary objectives of generating employment and incomes to the persons concerned. These units typically operate at a low level of organization, with little or no division between labour and capital as factors of production and on a small scale. Beedi rolling is one of the major unorganized sector activities in India. Beedi industry is one of the most important unorganized agro industries which occupies important place in the national economy. Beedi rolling is manual in all its stages. No tools are used except ordinary scissors, winnows and wire nets. The two principal raw materials are used for beedi making. There are Beedi tobacco and Beedi leaves (Tendu or kendo leaf). They fit a Beedi in the Beedi industry where no foreign exchange, machinery electric power, skilled labour or any others infrastructures are required. It needs just two ingredients i.e. the right type of tobacco and tendu leaves to wrap the tobacco in the blended tobacco and leaves for wrapping are brought from indigenous sources. The instruments of production are only the unskilled female labours that roll out the beedies and supplement their family income.

The Beedi industry discusses legislation and policies developed by the Indian Government aimed at protection of consumers a society, monitoring working condition and providing social security benefits for the welfare of laborers, and fiscal policies with regard to tobacco control. It argues that the absence of policies on pricing and consumption, and that Government and other stakeholders need to consider avenues for providing alternative employment to beedi workers. Beedi smoking, having originated in India, is currently practiced all over the country and is the most popular form of tobacco use. Inadequate awareness about the dangers of smoking, combined with the addictive potential of beedi smoking, the low price, and marketing strategies of beedi rolling have increased its popularity.

The absence of pricing and taxation polices has contributed to beedies popularity, increasing consumption in India and exports to other countries. The beedi Industry has also be accused of evading taxes due to differential tax structures imposed by the Government.

About 19% of tobacco consumption in India is in the form of cigarettes while 53% is smoked as beedies, the rest is used mainly in smokeless from 15 roughly eight beedies are sold for 17 cigarette 16 the total number of beedi smokers was estimated to be around 100 million in 1994 the majority of whom were adult males 17 in 1996 the annual beedi consumption was estimated to be around 700 billion sticks. 17 National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) data from 1987 to 2000 indicate a down ward tendu in overall beedi consumption but less in the rural areas while the rural per capita consumption decreased by nearly 23% the fall in the urban consumption was 43% beedi tend to be smoked by the lower economic classes cad those with limited funds such as colleges students but not by the upper leases.

Tobacco is the single largest cause of premature adult deaths throughout the work. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a leading cause of death which has shown steady increase since 1950. Since 1979, tobacco related deaths in Female population are rising. It is expected that by the year 2020 a million women will die annually due to tobacco illness. India consumes 6.3% of whole worlds raw material tobacco & 1.7% of cigarettes. Among total tobacco consumption 40% by beedies and 20% by cigarettes which indicate popularity of beedi in India. It is consumed all over south East Asia but it is particularly popular in India. Each beedi consist of a small amount of tobacco (0.2-0.3 gem) prowler of flacks wrapped in tendu or Tambourine leaves and tied with a string despite their smaller size. Beedies yield more tar and nicotine than cigarette. (shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in, 2015)

1.1. History of the beedi industry in India:Indian tobacco cultivation began in the late 17th century and beedies were first created in Gujarat when tobacco workers took left-over tobacco and rolled it in leaves. Initially the leaf used was kachnar. In 1899, during the Gujarat famine, brothers Mohanlal Hargovindas Patel migrated to Jabalpur region as railway contractors. They discovered that the local tendu (Diospyros melanoxylon) leaves are ideal for wrapping the tobacco and founded the beedi rolling factories locally. The first trademark was registered by Haribhai Desai of Bombay (using kachnar leaves) 1901, and Mohanlal and Hargovindas obtained their trademark in 1902 for tendu-rolled beedi. The commercial Indian beedi industry saw rapid growth during the 1930s probably driven by an expansion of tobacco cultivation at the time but also helped by Gandhi's support of Indian industry and Indian products. Perhaps due to this, educated classes in India grew to prefer beedies to cigarettes although this is no longer the case. Muslim leaders, calling cigarettes foreign products, have also endorsed beedies at times. By the middle of the 20th century beedi manufacture had grown into a highly competitive industry. This stage of commercial production-at the height of the beedi's popularity-saw the creation of many new beedi brands as well as beedi factories employing upwards of one hundred, primarily male, beedi rollers. Factory-based beedi production declined as a result of increased regulation during the 1940s, '50s, and '60s, and beedi-making became a cottage industry with a home-based women workforce predominantly employed only in the beedi rolling. (Lal, Pranay. 25 May 2009)

1.2. Characteristics of the Beedi Industry in India: There are about 300 manufacturers of major beedi brands and thousands of small scale contractors and manufacturers involved in bulk production in India. The industry employs approximately 4.4 million full time workers and more than 6 million persons are engaged in Beedi making processing and allied work. Most of them are largely poor and illiterate. The lack of organized production in the beedi industry creates difficulty in regulating the working conditions of workers and in implementing welfare laws. In 1999, the Indian beedi industry generated 165 million in excise and 200 million in foreign exchange revenue for the Indian government. (shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in, 2015)

1.3. Beedi Industry in India:Beedi industry is the largest tobacco based industry in India. The beedi industry occupies an important place, in terms of its capacity to offer potential employment opportunities to a large number of people in India. Beedi is a crude cigarette in which tobacco is rolled in a small beedi leaf ('tendu') and tied with a cotton thread. The industry has been classified as unorganized, falling under the small scale and cottage industries sector. According to ILO reports, there are about 300 manufacturers of major beedi brands and thousands of small scale contractors and manufacturers involved in the beedi production. The tobacco is the major input used for beedi production.

Beedi is a forest product and also called the poor mans smoke or poor mans cigarette. Beedi sector is an agro-forestry based, labour intensive industry characterized by low fixed capital requirements, high wage sensitivity and a strong tendency to shift towards cheap labour. This sector encompasses workforce involved in the collection and processing of the two main raw materials, tendu (beedi wrapper) leaves and tobacco.

The industry is spread across the country. Concentrated in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, beedies are also manufactured in Gujarat, Kerala, Orissa, Bihar, Rajasthan, Assam, Tripura and Delhi. Most of the beedi making work is carried out in rural and semi-urban areas. It varies in the capital invested, size of beedi, and extent of concentration, gender and child composition of workers and so on from place to place.

Most of the beedi making work is carried out under the contractual, home based, piece rate system. Women and children predominate, constituting around 90 per cent of all home based workers. Employed for their proficiency, yet ironically paid lower wages, these women and children involved in beedi rolling tasks are discriminated. Arbitrary and ingenious ways are practiced by the contractors/middlemen (known as sattedars or commissiondars) to exploit and harass these susceptible and vulnerable workers. Added to this, they face tremendous health hazards. Levels of organization are low and implementation of the legislations enacted for beedi workers welfare (as early as in 1966 and 1976) remains ineffective. (shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in, 2015)

1.4. Trading model in beedi industry:The beedi industry is home-based and the work is done mainly through following three modalities: Direct system: Workers employed in the factory to roll beedies under the direct supervision of the management/owner. Company/ branch issues raw material (tobacco, thread and tendu patta) directly to the workers. The employers provide the workers with raw materials and the workers deliver back the ready beedi to them next day to the company.

Sale -Purchase System: In the books it is shown that the worker buys raw material from Company A, while they give the prepared beedi to Company B, Company C does the packaging and Company D does the marketing. All these companies are on paper only and their owners are all from one family itself. This system is adopted so that the workers can be defined as own account workers and employer-employee relationship cannot be established. This way the employers can evade the labour laws.

Through Contractor: i.e. raw material is given to the beedi workers through the contractors employed by the employers. The workers roll the beedi and deliver the finished product to the contractor. (Tiwari, Pankaj & Parashar, Namrata. 2014)

1.5. Different stages in the process of beedi making:The four main steps involved in the production of a beedi are as follows: Rewinding the thread: Since the first step involves no expertise or training even children of very tender age or the old can be involved. All that is required to be done is the re-rolling of the thread from a small bundle onto an object, usually, an empty match box or a pulley -type object. It takes about 30 minutes to an hour to rewind a bundle of thread. Cutting the beedi leaves: Cutting the beedi leaves, which is the next step, requires some skill because the maximum number of pieces cut from the leaf depends on the skill of the worker. Rolling the beedi: Rolling the beedi leaf with tobacco is the main job in the process-tobacco is to be rolled in the leaf and tied with the thread; the pinch of tobacco must be accurate. Folding the beedi head: The folding of the beedi head, which is the final step, can be done by assistants also; the complete beedies are then bundled and sent to the employer/ contractor. (T.Nagalakshmi & A.Sudhakar , 2013)

1.6. Beedi Workers in India:The beedi or beedi rolling is one of the major informal sector activities in India a traditional activity with highly labour intensive and predominantly unorganized. The beedi industry is one of the largest employers of workers in India, after agriculture, handloom and construction (GoI, 1995). However, the estimates of the numbers of beedi workers engaged in this industry vary depending on who is making the estimates. According to the Indias Ministry of Labour, in India it is estimates that there are about 4.4 million workers in this industry. The majority are home based women workers who live below the poverty line (BPL). Beedi is a kind of little cigarette, made of tendu leaves (instead of paper) and tobacco. According to conservative estimate more than 6 million persons are engaged in Beedi making processing and allied work.

The trade unions claim that there are over 7 million beedi workers. Beedi workers are vulnerable segments of the countrys labour force which has increased involvement of women and child labour in Beedi rolling activities. Women make the largest proportion of labor in the beedi industry with 96 percent of all female workers being in this sector. Published literature estimate women make up 76 per cent of total beedi employment (Sudarshan and Kaur, 1999). Informal sector workers are generally not represented in the institutions and organizations of the labour movement. The Parliamentary standing committee on subordinate legislation (1990) says that 20 million labours and 6 million farmers are engaged in cultivation of tobacco. The size of the unorganized sector indicates its importance as a major force both economically and politically. The All India Beedi, Cigar, and Tobacco Workers Federation during 2001 estimates women comprise around 90 per cent of total employment in beedi manufacture. Women constitute a very high percentage of labour force in the industry. The reason for this is, firstly, the work is done generally from home and women can do it while at the same time attending to their children and other household responsibilities; secondly, their deft fingers are more suited to the work of beedi rolling.

The condition of Beedi workers at present as well as in the past have not been not very conducive. The making of the Beedi is an industry that is widely spread over the country. Hence there is a need to improve the living and working conditions, as well as to promote decent employment and income opportunities for women Beedi rollers.

Beedi workers largely engaged in procurement of tendu leave, tobacco procurement, beedi rolling and packaging. Beedi rolling activity is one of the most popular amongst unorganized activities in the country. As per Standing Committee on Labour (2010-11), 49.90 lakh beedi workers in India (Ministry of Labour and Employment, 2011). The trade unions claim that there are over 70 to 80 lakh beedi workers. Women workers constitute a very high percentage of labour force in the beedi industry. In India, beedi industry spread over 16 States.

The Table-1.1 shows the distribution of beedi workers across the states. State-wise data on identified beedi workers by Ministry of Labour (Government of India) shows that the largest number of workers is concentrated in West Bengal (28.09%), Madhya Pradesh (16.22%), Tamil Nadu (11.33%) and Karnataka (8.18%). Majority of the beedi workers are engaged in beedi rolling in home based work. Which involves sizing of tendu leaves, filling the leaves with tobacco and binding which are labour intensive and can be done either in factory premises or done in the homes, through a contract system.

Table- 1.1: State-wise details of the total number of Beedi workersSl. NoStatesNo. of beedi workersPercentage (%)

1Andhra Pradesh73500015.09

2Assam77250.16

3Bihar3350006.87

4Jharkhand1150002.36

5Gujarat500751.03

6Karnataka2870825.9

7Kerala963241.98

8Madhya Pradesh82719416.99

9Chhattisgarh261100.54

10Maharashtra2560005.26

11Orissa2650005.44

12Rajasthan317360.65

13Tripura99460.2

14Tamil Nadu62500012.84

15Uttar Pradesh4500009.24

16West Bengal75222515.45

Total4869417100.0

Source: Ministry of Labour and employment, GOI, 2009.

1.7. Role of Women in the Beedi Industry:There are different estimates of female involvement in beedi rolling. One source estimated that women constitute 76% of the total employment in beedi manufacture. The All India Beedi, Cigar and Tobacco Workers Federation pay the figure at 90% to 95%. In some regions of India, beedi making is largely regarded as womens work, with the exception of young boys. In other areas, men roll beedies if and when other work is not available or they are unable to engage in manual labor.The beedi industry is male-dominated, where the manufacturer, the contractor and the consumers are male and only the beedi rollers are female. This often makes women subject to economic exploitation. Some middlemen reportedly supply low quality leaf, and reject bundles of beedies on grounds of poor standards, but then eventually take them without paying. Female beedi rollers also report verbal and physical abuse based on gender and caste differences.

In areas where the beedi cottage industry is pervasive, some women engage in beedi rolling as a full-time occupation and are able to roll 8001200 beedies during an 8-12 hour day. Other women work part-time while caring for children and attending to household duties and roll 300500 beedies a day. In many cesses, several women from the same household will pool their efforts to fill quotas. Neither observes that beedi rolling is often preferred to other manual labor, particularly in communities where going outside the home to work in the fields of others is considered lower status than working at home, especially if one can earn cash. Beedi wages are generally higher than those for manual labor and in some areas, such as southwest coastal Karnataka, the siphoning off of women into the beedi cottage industry has raised local agricultural wages and affected cropping patterns.

The upside of beedi work for women is that it pays in cash on a daily basis and provides small benefits. Regular workers on a local beedi branch (outlet) list may receive minor loans, and be eligible for layaway plans and bonuses, perks designed to retain womens loyalty to contractors and maintain a steady supply of beedies. The downside is that raw materials are not always available, especially in rainy season when poverty is worst. Women, who primarily rely on beedi work for survival, have difficulty at this time. Households that rely strictly on beedi work are sometimes forced to go into debt to beedi contractors who then gain control over them. For this reason, some households have diversified, with some members rolling beedi and others doing manual labor. The increasing shift of beedi rolling from the factory to a home-based setting and the constant relocation of beedi companies in search of cheap transport and labor also cause insecurity and instability among beedi workers. (shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in, 2015)

1.8. Rights of Beedi and Cigar workers:A few state governments have indeed made efforts to ensure social justice to the workers by enacting special laws for regulating the conditions or work of these laborers, but these laws are ineffective because of the highly mobile nature of the industry producers who move from the area where any such law is in force to places where no such law exists. The ability of these two sets of law in ensuring the welfare of the workers has thus been far from satisfactory. To fill the void, union government felt it necessary to formulate a central legislation that would deal exclusively with the worker's welfare and by uprooting exploitation found to be exiting in the society.

In order to achieve this objective following laws came into existence: The Beedi and Cigar Workers (Conditions of Employment) Act 1966 The Beedi Workers Welfare Cess Act, 1976 The Beedi Workers Welfare Fund Act 1976 The beedi Workers Welfare Fund Rules, 1978Amongst the other laws having a bearing on beedi workers are, the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, and Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act 1946, and the Maternity benefits Act, 1961.

The salient features of the Acts are: Beedi and Cigar Workers (Conditions of Employment) Act, 1966 provides for coverage regarding daily hours of work, weekly rest, leave with wages, maternity leave, benefits and welfare amenities such as drinking water, toilet facilities, canteen, etc. Although the term worker includes home workers as well, in practice these provisions apply only to the factory/ common shed workers.

The Beedi Workers Welfare Cess Act, 1976 aims to collect taxes by way of cess or by imposing excise duty on manufactured beedi.

The Beedi Workers Welfare Fund Act, 1976 was passed with the objective to promote financial assistance to the workers.

The beedi Workers Welfare Fund Rules, 1978 specify that the owner of an establishment or a factory or contractor should maintain a register of works and provide statistics and other information as required by the government from time to time. The main significance of the welfare measures is in the health sector as the beedi workers as a category of workers is involved in health hazardous occupations. (Tiwari, Pankaj & Parashar, Namrata. 2014)

1.9. Central Govt. facilities for the beedi workers in India:

Health facilities: Free health check up in every 15 days and Also bear medical treatment expenses, problems like Hearth, Kidney, TV, Eye Operation and glasses. Maternity benefit to the female beedi worker upto 2 children 1000 each. Education:ScholarshipBoysGirls

Class 1-4250250

Class 5-8500940

Class 97001140

Class 1014001840

Class 11-1220002440

Degree30003000

Professional Course80008000

Source: Labour Welfare Organization, GOI 2015.

Social Security: Rs. 10,000 life Insurance Funeral cost Rs. 1500 Housing: Financial assistance of 40,000 for house.

Chapter-2 Review of Literature

Chapter-2 Review of Literature

A study was conducted by Labour Bureau, Ministry of Labour (1995)1, on working and living conditions of beedi workers in India. According to this report, home based workers constituted about 90% of total workers in beedi industry. Women workers constitute more than 60% of total home based workers and child workers accounted for about 1% of home based workers. It has also confirmed that an intensive exploitation of home workers has continued.

Prasad and Prasad (1985)2 conducted a study on working and living conditions of beedi workers in Maharashtra. From this study it was found that incidents of high level of exploitation of workers due to informal relations of production at every level, unorganized nature of workers in the production process. No fixed norms about disbursement of raw materials on wage cuts or wage rates given to workers and wage rates lower than the existing minimum wage rates have been observed. 42 percent of the households reported having children (up to 17 years of age) involved in beedi work and in these households 50 percents beedi workers were children.

M. Mohandas (1980)3 studied on beedi makers in Kerala. In his study he considered various aspects of living and working conditions of both factory and home based workers. He pointed out that there is Virtual absence of any uniform or standard work norm due to multiplicity of independent branches and differences in the system of work. This one of the major causes of exploitation of home based beedi workers. He also points out that this trend of growing disorganization has effectively reduced the bargaining capacity of workers.

A study was conducted by S Madheswaran, D.Rajashekar and K.G. Gayathri Devi (2005)4 on A comprehensive study on the status of beedi industry in Karnataka carried out a comprehensive study which deals with the problems of the beedi workers and industry in Karnataka. It seeks to analyze the important issues relating to the industry, workers, government programmes and organizations working for the upliftment of the beedi workers. This empirical study highlights the socio economic conditions of the workers, impact of interventions by different organizations like Trade Unions, Non Governmental Organizations and Self Help Groups etc.V Ramakrishnappa, Priya Harish, Vishwanatha (2014)5 conducted a study on Women workers in beedi industry in Dakshina Kannadadistrict of Karnataka. From the study it was found that women make up 76 per cent of total beedi employment. Women constitute a very high percentage of labour force in the beedi manufacturing. The beedi rolling activity has generated employment of 240 to 280 days in a year. As a whole, it has been found that the beedi rollers household earned an average total income of Rs. 15,870 in a year from the rolling of 2, 37,543 beedies or 237.54 bundles (1000 beedies per bundle). The average wage paid to beedi rollers in the study area worked out to Rs. 66.81 per 1000 beedies. Majority of the beedi rollers in the study area are poor and belong to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, backward classes and minorities. In many families, the work has been passed on from generation to generation. Majority of the beedi rollers do not have identity cards in the study area. Lack of identity card prohibits beedi workers to access the government facilities.

V. Murugan and C. Venkatesh (2014)6 studied on Socio economic conditions of female beedi workers in karugamputhur village, Vellore district of Tamil Nadu in 2014. The main objective of the study was to understand the Socio economic condition of the female Beedi workers in Karugamputhur Village, Vellore District. Majority 95percent of the Beedi workers was from the marginalized sections of the society and therefore they were socially and economically backward. Poverty was the main reason that induced the workers to take up Beedi work as an occupation. 58 per cent of the workers earned less than Rs. 1500 per. Majority 70 percent of the workers stated that their health problems were due to their occupation.

A study was done by R. Thanga Selvan, & Dr. D. Jacqulin Pon Mabelon (2013)7 on Income and Expenditure Pattern of Women Beedi Workers in Radhapuram Taluk of Tamil nadu, India. The study highlights the educational qualification, marital status, residence, type of family, savings, borrowings and economic position of women beedi workers in Radhapuram Taluk, Tirunelveli District, and Tamil Nadu. Through this research it is learned that even though beedi rolling is an alternative employment opportunity to the women in the rural area they are able to earn a substandard income compare to other sectors. This is due the exploitation of the companys management. They are able to survive because of their other family members contribution. The women workers are treating this work as a part time job though they spare most of their valuable resources like time, effort and health. Considering the amount of time taken and also the nature of the work, the wages paid to them are very low and therefore it is suggested that the minimum wage rate should be increased. If fair wage system is enforced in the beedi industry the socio economic condition of the beedi workers will certainly improve.

A study was conducted by S. Srinivasan and Dr. P. Ilango (2012)8 on the Socio Economic Conditions of Female Beedi Workers at Khajamalai, In Trichirapalli, Tamil Nadu in 2012. It was found that majority 98 percent of the Beedi workers were from the marginalized sections of the society and therefore they were socially and economically backward. Poverty was the main reason that induced the respondents to take up Beedi work as an occupation. Majority 72 percent of the respondents were working for contractors which showed that they were subjected to exploitation. Sixty four per cent of the respondents earned less than Rs. 2000 per month which is not adequate to maintain their family. Majority 70 percent of the respondents stated that their health problems were due to their occupation.

A study was conducted by Pankaj Tiwari & Dr. Namrata Nehru (2014)9 on Socio-economic Conditions of Female Beedi Workers in Allahabad District. From this study it was found that the women beedi workers do not have any basic facilities. The welfare schemes for women are not boring a desired result or we can say such schemes failed to reach them. They are deprived of their basic rights and they are exploited by the contractors too. It was also found that Poverty was the main reason that induced the respondents to take up beedi work as an occupation. Majority 72% of the respondents were working for contractors which showed that they were subjected to exploitation. 58 % of the respondents earned less than Rs. 3000 Rs per month which is not adequate to maintain their family. Majority 45 percent of the workers were members of Self Help Groups (SHG) groups.

Arindam Nandi, Ashvin Ashok, G Emmanuel Guindon, Frank J Chaloupka, and Prabhat Jha (2014)10 have done a study on estimates of the economic contributions of the beedi manufacturing industry in India. In this study they find that the economic footprint of the industry is rather small when measured in terms of output, value added and employment. The employees in this industry are also severely underpaid. They argue that the positive gains from higher taxes and reduced beedi consumption, therefore, may well outweigh any temporary loss in economic activity. In addition, as with many declining industries, the displaced workforce could be rehabilitated in other industries, resulting is a net gain.

Dr. Avijit Roy Choudhury (2012)11 studied on Home-Based Beedi Workers of Malda & Murshidabad Districts OF West Bengal, India. Though unconstitutional and unaccounted for, a large number of girl child workers are engaged to add into the earnings of the family, which is plagued with different types of atrocities like rejection of beedies, reduced wages etc. They are also severely exposed to health hazards. This study was primarily concerned with the analysis of working and living conditions of girl child workers in the beedi industry.

Selvi V.D (2006)12 in her study Plight of women in beedi industry argues that the beedi industry as labour intensive, weak capital base and unorganized sector. Author highlights it as the work preferred by women, poor people, children and mainly uneducated women as employment opportunity is limited in agriculture.

Dharmalingam (1993)13 on Female Beedi Workers in a South Indian Village, Tamil Nadu. In his study he argues that the beedi workers work longer hours for meager wages. They are exposed to economic and sexual ex-ploitation and health hazards. Female workers are under constant pressure from employer and their parents/ husbands Party and exploitation succeed in pitting daughters against parents.

T. Nagalakshmi and A. Sudhakar (2013)14 done a study on Problems and Prospects of Women Beedi Workers OF Mustabad, Andhra Pradesh. In their study they tried to point out the problems faced by the women beedi workers, their socio-economic background, problems faced by Takedhar. From the study it was found that due to the operation of middle men/Takedhar, no employer-employee relation is established in between worker and employer. Most of the work has been supervised by the Takedhar. Women Beedi workers are working under very poor and unhygienic conditions. Timely wages are not been paid to these workers. The signatures are obtained on the amount, which is higher than the actual amount paid to them. Almost no women Beedi workers are satisfied with the wages paid by the organization. Apart from the women Beedi workers, their family members are also getting tobacco related diseases such as tuberculosis, cough, cancer etc. Inferior quality, underweight tendu leaves have been supplied by the Takedhar which is major cause for financial loss, because of this more beedies will be weighted.

A study was done by Saurabh Mittal, Apoorva Mittal, and Ramakrishnan Rengappa (2006)15 which included 310 females actively involved in beedi rolling presenting with eye symptoms to tertiary eye care hospital Tirunelveli, Tamil nadu has shown that 62.9% of beedi workers presented with defective vision,53.5% with headache, 38.1% with irritation/foreign body sensation in eyes, 6.5% with redness of eyes ,6.5% with watering/discharge from eyes,3.5% with photophobia ,and associated systemic illness like 22.9% with skin tanning, 11.9% with rough skin, 11.6% with peripheral neuropathy, 5.8% with obstetric diseases, 4.8% with miscarriages, 1.6% with tuberculosis, 2.3% with upper respiratory tract infection, 1.9% with joint pain, 0.6% migraine, 0.6% with diabetes mellitus, 0.3% hypertension.

Vinod Sen (2003)16 done a study in Sagar district, Madhya Pradesh which included 70 beedi rollers, of which 72.86% were female beedi rollers and 27.14% were male beedi rollers ,has shown that 64.29% workers were earning less than Rs.25,000 per annum and 34.71% were earning Rs.25 to 50,000 per annum from beedi rolling, 67.14% beedi workers experienced pain in limbs and shoulders, 62.86% reported headache while working and after that, 51.43% of workers had back pain,44.29% had continuous cold and allergy, 20% had eye problems, 17.57% had gas trouble, and 11.13% had asthma.Dr. Vandana Dave (2012)17 made an attempt to understand the socioeconomic condition of women laborers, nature of their work, their working conditions, wage pattern, wage discrimination and other difficulties faced by them at their work place. It was carried out with 350 respondents including women construction workers, agriculture labourers and domestic helpers working in the unorganized sector. The results showed that majority of the migrant women were engaged in the construction industry and were only employed in unskilled and low paying jobs as coolies, laborers and helpers and women were exploited to a greater degree as they were paid less compared to men for similar nature of work and hours spent on work. The conditions of work in the unorganized sector were unsatisfactory and the problems confronted by them were acute. And that their illiteracy, poverty and indebtedness forced them to work for lower wages and under unjust conditions.

After doing review of literature, it was found that no specific study was done on beedi sector as well as beedi workers in Tripura. So, under this circumstance the study was conducted with following objectives:

1. To review the present scenario of beedi sector in Tripura.2. To study the socio-economic condition of beedi workers.3. To study the working process of beedi making of beedi sector. 4. To find out the challenges and problems of beedi sector as well as beedi workers.

Chapter-3 Research Methodology

Chapter-33. Research Methodology:Methodology is the analysis of the principles or procedures of inequality in a particular field. It is systematic, theoretical analysis of the methods applied to a field of study or the theoretical analysis of the body method and principles associated with a branch of knowledge. It, typically, encompasses concepts such as paradigm, theoretical model, phases and quantitative or qualitative techniques.

3.1. Study area:

Table- 3.1 Population of RouthKhala Gram Panchayat (2013-14)

Population

MaleFemaleTotal (M+F)Total Family

ST- -ST- ---

SC- 329 SC- 364 693173

OBC- 1033 OBC- 10132046551

Minorities- 119Minorities- 11423359

General- 494General- 529 1027292

Total- 1975Total- 202039951075

The study was conducted in three hamlets namely Jangalia, Purba Jangalia, Rabindranath Koloni of RouthKhala Gram Panchayat under Bishalgarh Rural Development Block, Sipahijala district, Tripura. Source: RouthKhala Gram Panchayat (2013-14)

3.2. Sample design:

Tripura

Sipahijala District

Bishalgarh R.D Block

RouthKhala Gram Panchayat

Purba Jangalia42 SamplesJangalia28 SamplesRabindranath Koloni32 Samples

Total Samples102

3.3. Sample size:

The study was conducted with 102 samples.

3.4. Sampling method:

The study was conducted through purposive random sampling method.

3.5. Sources of Data collection:

Data were collected from primary source and secondary source.

The secondary data were collected from labour departments, beedi office, Rural Development Block, Gram Panchayat, Relevant websites, periodicals, and journals also reviewed.

For this study, primary data were collected from an individual respondents working in Beedi making through interview method with well structure and designed questionnaire.

3.6. Tools of Data Collection:

Data was collected through structured interview schedule. Face to face interview was conducted with the respondents. Apart from interview focus group discussion (FGD) with the beedi makers and SSI was done with some beedi factory owners.

3.7. Method of data analysis: The data analysis for this study were done through simple arithmetic tools like addition, substations, multiplication, statistical tools like percentage, mean and Ms Excel, pie chart, bar chart, column chart and represented through table & graphical representation.

3.8. Limitation of the study:Lack of Secondary Data, time, resource etc.

Chapter-4 Result & Discussion

Chapter-44. Result & Discussion 4.1. Beedi sector in Tripura: Beedi rolling is a major occupation for the women in Bishalgarh Subdivision, Tripura. This area accounts for as much 50 percent of the total beedi production of the Tripura. State with 18 registered beedi companies and also has unregistered beedi companies, and around 250 beedi contractors and also has7 beedi brands from outside of Tripura. Due to this competition and the shifting nature of this sector, it has declined. Competition has risen in the form of unregistered and small (excise exempt) beedi manufacturers in the region, According to Labour Welfare Organization, Tripura has around 13,600 registered beedi workers and also has some unregistered workers. Among 13,600 beedi workers 88 Percent workers are female. Besides that, Children also make a significant contribution in the beedi rolling households. Raw materials are imported from Orissa, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra and also others parts of the country

The diagram 4.1.1 shows the production process of beedi in Tripura. Starting from raw materials (Tendu leaves and Tobacco) is imported from Orissa, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra and also others parts of the country. As the beedi industry is home-based, in Tripura the work is done mainly through following two models: one is direct system - Workers employed in the factory to roll beedies under the direct supervision of the management/owner. Company/ branch issues raw material (tobacco, thread and tendu patta) directly to the workers. The employers provide the workers with raw materials and the workers deliver back the ready beedi to them next day to the company. Other one is through Contractor: i.e. raw material is given to the beedi workers through the contractors employed by the employers. The workers roll the beedi and deliver the finished product to the contractor in every 7 days or 15 days, in Tripura the middleman is known as Munsi. But mainly contractor or Munsi system is very much popular in Tripura. Workers are paid Rs. 95 for per 1000 beedi making.

Diagram- 4.1.1: Working Process of Beedi Sector in Tripura

Raw Materials,Tendu leaves and Tobacco

Process in Beedi FactoryFactory

Filtering

Middleman/ Munsi

Heating

PackingWorkers Home

Market

Rewinding the thread Cutting the beedi leaves Rolling the beediFolding the beedi headFinished product

At home beedi workers follow four main steps in the production of a beedi: Since the first step involves no expertise or training even children of very tender age or the old can be involved. All that is required to be done is the re-rolling of the thread from a small bundle onto an object, usually, an empty match box or a pulley -type object. It takes about 30 minutes to an hour to rewind a bundle of thread. Cutting the beedi leaves, which is the next step, requires some skill because the maximum number of pieces cut from the leaf depends on the skill of the worker. Rolling the beedi leaf with tobacco is the main job in the process-tobacco is to be rolled in the leaf and tied with the thread; the pinch of tobacco must be accurate. The folding of the beedi head, which is the final step, can be done by assistants also.It takes 450 gram of tendu leaves and 220 gram of tobacco for making 1000 beedies.

The complete beedies are then bundled in 25 beedies which one packet and sent to the employer/ contractor. Finished products than send to factory by the contractors (Munsi), for that he received some commission per thousand beedies from the factory. When all the prepared beedies are send to factory than the factory workers filtered the beedies, the damaged beedies are taken out, after that the beedies are send to heating room for almost one hour, after that all the beedies are packed, after all this beedies are send to the market.

Table 4.1.2: An Estimated overview of Beedi Sector in Tripura

Registered Branded Beedi factory in Tripura18 factory

Estimated contractor/ middleman/ munsiMore than 250

Number of Registered beedi workers13,600

Total Number of days employment generated in a year 260-290 days

Total number of beedi produced in the State in a year25,70,40,000 beedies

Total Number of Packet rolled in a year10,281,600 Packets

Average Price of Per Beedi packets Rs. 10

Total sale in amount in a yearRs. 102,816,000

Wage paid to workers per 1000 beedi makingRs. 95

Source: Estimated by Researcher

4.2. Socio-economic Condition of Beedi workers: Table-4.2.1: Age compositionAge groupNumber of RespondentPercentage (%)

16-251312.75

26-353736.27

36-453837.25

46-551312.75

56-6510.98

Total102100.0

Mean Age: 36 Year

Source: Field Survey 2015Figure-4.2.1: Age composition

The table shows the age groups of the respondent women. It was found that highest number of respondent, 37.25 percent of beedi makers belong to age group 36-45 and the majority of the respondent were found between 26 years to 45 years. And the mean age of the respondent was 36 years.

Table-4.2.2: Social categorySocial category

Number of RespondentPercentage (%)

ST--

SC1312.74

OBC6462.74

UR2524.20

Total102100.0

Source: Field Survey 2015 Figure-4.2.2: Social category The table shows that highest number of respondent, around 63 percent beedi makers belong to OBC and others 24 percent found others caste. And no schedule Tribe respondent found among 102 samples which clearly shows that schedule Tribe people were not found in beedi making work in the study area.

Table 4.2.3- Economic status Poverty statusNumber of RespondentPercentage (%)

APL4140.19

BPL4039.21

Listed BPL1918.62

NO21.96

Total102100.0

Source: Field Survey 2015Figure-4.2.3: Economic status The above table shows the economic status of the respondent. It was found that 40.19 percent respondents belong to APL category and 39.21 percent respondents belong to BPL category and 19 respondents were listed in BPL category and 2 respondent found without ration card. It shows that the percentage of below poverty line & newly listed BPL family is very high among the total number of respondent around 58 percent.

Table-4.2.4: Religious Status Religion


Hindu102100.0

Muslim0000

Christian0000

Others0000

Total102100.0

Source: Field Survey 2015Figure-4.2.4: Religion Table shows that total 102 respondents belong to Hindu religion. Apart from Hindu religion no other religion beedi maker were found.

Table-4.2.5: Marital Status Marital Status


Unmarried21.96

Married8482.35

Widow1110.78

Divorcee0000

Disserted54.90

Total102100.0

Source: Field Survey 2015Figure-4.2.5: Marital Status Table shows the marital status of the respondents. It shows that 82.35 percent respondents were married, 11 respondents were found widow and 5 respondents are found disserted by the husband.

Table-4.2.6: Educational status Literacy status


Illiterate54.90

Literate2423.52

Primary3433.33

Secondary3433.33

Madhyamik54.90

Total102100.0

Source: Field Survey 2015Figure-4.2.6: Educational status

Table shows the Education status of the respondents. From the above table it was found that majority of the respondents studied in primary section and secondary stage 33.33 percent each. Only 5 respondents were Madhyamik pass. Literate were 23.52 percent and 5 illiterate respondents were found. It shows that level of education among these beedi makers was very low which was one of the main reason behind opting beedi making work, as this work requires no educational qualification and also leads them to economic empowerment.

Table-4.2.7: Benefit received under different government programmesSchemesYesNoTotal NosTotal Percentage

NOs%NOs%

RSBY9492.1587.84102100.0

MGNREGA9593.1376.86102100.0

Adhaar Card102100.00000102100.0

Source: Field Survey 2015Figure-4.2.7: Beneficiary of different government programmes From the above table, it shows the beneficiaries of the different govt. programmes. 92.15 respondents had RSBY card, MGNREGA job card holder were 95 respondents and Adhaar card holder were 100 percent respondent. It shows that they are taking the benefits of the different govt. programmes and awareness about the govt. programmes among them which is a good sign.

Table-4.2.8: Member in SHGResponseNumber of RespondentPercentage (%)

Yes--

No102100.0

Total102100.0

Source: Field Survey 2015Figure-4.2.8: SHG member From the above table, it was seen that no SHG member was found, it means they are lacking behind an opportunity of earning more through forming an SHG.

Table-4.2.9: Beneficiary of different programs SchemesYesNoTotal NosTotal Percentage

NOs%NOs%

Bank A/C9896.0843.92102100.0

LIC1413.728886.28102100.0

Health Insurance001020102100.0

Source: Field Survey 2015Figure-4.2.9: Beneficiary of different programs From the above table, it shows that 96.08 percent respondents had bank account which is a very good side from the point view of economic inclusion. And only around 14 percent respondent had life insurance coverage. And no one have health insurance coverage, as beedi making work is very much vulnerable to health hazards.

Table-4.2.10: Monthly income (In Rs.)GroupNumber of RespondentPercentage (%)

500-10001312.75

1001-15002827.45

1501-20002928.43

2001-25002423.52

2501-300032.94

3001-350054.91

Total102100.0

Mean Income: Rs. 1775

Source: Field Survey 2015 Figure-4.2.10: Monthly income (In Rs.) This above table shows that around 29 percent of the respondents earned Rs.1501-2000 per month. 28 percent of the respondents earned Rs.2001-2500 per month. More than 40 percent of the respondent earned less than Rs.1500 per month. Few percentage respondents found who earned more than Rs. 3000 per month. Therefore the income they got was not enough to help the family. But the respondents were involved in very hard work.

Table-4.2.11: Monthly income of the respondent family (In Rs.) GroupNumber of RespondentPercentage (%)

3000-50001615.66

5001-70006462.76

7001-90001918.63

Above 900032.95

Total102100.0

Mean Income: Rs. 6516

Source: Field Survey 2015Figure-4.2.11: Monthly income of the respondent family (In Rs.)

This above table shows the monthly family income of the respondents family including her monthly income. It shows that around 63 percent of the respondents family earned between Rs. 5001-7000 per month. 18.63 percent of the respondents earned between Rs. 7001-9000 per month. Only 3 respondents family were found who earned more than 9000 per month. And around 16 percent of the respondent earned less than Rs. 5000 per month.

Table-4.2.12: Average monthly expenditure of the Respondent familyAreasAverage monthly expenditurePercentage (%)

Food3383.3354.64

Cloths434.316.98

Health246.033.62

Cocking Fuel401.536.40

Education809.5513.02

others948.5215.34

Total6223.27100.0

Source: Field Survey 2015Figure-4.2.12: Average monthly expenditure of the Respondent family

From the above table, it was found that majority i.e. 55 percent of their total family expenditure spent on food. They spent 13 percent in education, 7 percent in cloths, 6 percent in cocking fuel, 4 percent in health and 15 percent in others sectors of their total family expenditure.

Table-4.2.13: Own house/Land of the respondent Types


Own house/Land3534.32

Reserved land6765.68

Total102100.0

Source: Field Survey 2015The above table shows that 35 respondents have their own land and 67 respondents are living in Govt. reserved land which is under Sipahijala Wildlife Park, they are only resident of that land. The land is not belongs to them. Table-4.2.14: Types of the house Types


Kutcha7775.49

Semi- Pucca2221.56

Pucca32.94

Total102100.0

Source: Field Survey 2015The above table shows that 75.49 percent respondents house is Kutcha and only around 3 percent respondents house is Pucca. It shows that their financial status is low.Table-4.2.15: Toilet availability Types


Private102100.0

Community0000

Open defecation0000

Total102100.0

Source: Field Survey 2015The table shows that total 102 respondents family have private toilet in their home which is a very good sign from the point of view of total sanitation campaign in India.

Table-4.2.16: Source of Drinking Water Types


Supply (Pipeline)4949.98

Tube well5351.96

Total102100.0

Source: Field Survey 2015From the above table, it shows that the source of availability of water in the respondents house. It shows that 49 respondents have water supply pipe line connectivity in their house for that they need to pay 60 Rs. per month and 53 respondents have tube well in their house. But the respondents who are having water supply connectivity in their house often face water shortage and crisis.Table-4.2.17: Availability of Electricity ResponseNumber of RespondentPercentage (%)

Yes9997.05

No32.95

Total102100.0

Source: Field Survey 2015From the above table, it shows that the electric availability in the respondents house. It shows that 97.05 percent respondents had electricity connection in their house, it shows that inspite of their poor economic condition they manage to keep their house bright at night with electricity.

Table-4.2.18: Cooking device TypeNumber of RespondentPercentage (%)

LPG1514.70

Fire wood6664.70

LPG/wood2120.58

Total102100.0

Source: Field Survey 2015The above table shows the types of cooking devices that the respondents family uses for preparing food. It shows that healthy number 64.70 percent of respondent family uses fire wood for preparing food and only 15 respondent family using LPG for preparing food. And 21 respondents family is using LPG/wood both for food preparation.Table-4.2.19: Livestock availability Types


Poultry1413.72

Duckry21.96

Cows54.90

NA8179.42

Total102100.0

Source: Field Survey 2015The above table shows the livestock availability in the respondents family. It shows majority of the respondent family 79.42 percent were having no livestock availability in their house. Very less respondents family were engaged in livestock activities in their house. Only 16 respondents family found who were engaged in poultry and duckry farming in their house and 5 respondents family had cows in their house.

4.3. Working process of beedi making of beedi sector:

Table-4.3.1: Source of information regarding beedi making workSources


Neighbor6664.70

Family3635.30

Total102100.0

Source: Field Survey 2015

The above table shows that the source of information regarding beedi making work. It shows that around 65 percent of respondent got to know about this work from neighbor and 35.30 percent of respondent got to know from their family members who used to do this work before them. It shows that except family members, neighbors were more inspiring factor that they engaged in this beedi industry. It also shows that 35.30 percent of respondent had family members in their family who were engaged in beedi making industry before them and around 65 percent of respondents were the first generation beedi workers in their family.

Table-4.3.2: Working experience of the respondents in beedi industryYearsNumber of RespondentPercentage (%)

0-103029.41

11-204645.09

21-302221.56

31-4032.95

41-5010.99

Total102100.0

Mean experience: 16 year


From the above table, it shows the working experience of the respondent. It shows that highest numbers of percentage 45.09 percent of respondent working for 11 to 20 years in the beedi sector and few respondents were found who engaged in beedi sector for more than 40 years and the majority of the respondent working in this sector for 11-20 to 21-30 years group. And average experience year of the respondent was 16 years.

Table-4.3.3: Entry age of the respondent in this sectorYearsNumber of RespondentPercentage (%)

9-141716.66

15-246361.76

25-342221.57

Total102100.0

Mean entry age of the women: 19 year

The table shows the age of the respondent when she took entry in the beedi making sector. The highest percentage around 62 percentage respondents entered in this sector from 15 years to 24 years. It also reveals that 17 respondents were found who entered in this sector below 14 years age which comes under the child labour act in India and they were also from poor economic background which led them to join this sector and moreover at very early age they came to know about this work from their parents. And mean entry age of the respondent was 19 years.

Table-4.3.4: Place of workPlace


Home102100.0

Factory--

Total102100.0


The above table shows the working place of the respondents. It is found that 100 percent of the respondents were working in their homes, as it reveals that beedi making is basically a home based work and for that reason women are more involved in this sector.

Table-4.3.5: Distribution of worker on the basis of working hourDuration (in hrs)Number of RespondentPercentage (%)

2-31817.64

4-57977.45

Above 554.91

Total102100.0

Mean working hour: 4hrs 20 mints /day


The above table shows the distribution of workers on the basis of working hours in a day. It is observed that majority respondent, around 78 percent of respondent found who were working between 4 to 5 hours in a day. As most of the workers are housewives, it is very hard for them to make out time for work. So, their income is very less. But the amount of hard work they putting that much income they were not getting from this industry. And the mean working hour of the respondent was 4.16 hours in a day.

Table-4.3.6: Separate place to keep raw materials and productsResponse


Yes--

No102100.0

Total102100.0


From the above table it can be observed that majority of the respondent, 100 percent didnt have separate place to keep their products or raw materials. They keep their raw material, tobacco and tendu leaves openly in their homes. As, it is very much harmful to health, childrens are more exposed and vulnerable to all kinds of hazards of tobacco.

Table-4.3.7: No. of beedi packets rolled in a day by the respondentNo of packetsNumber of RespondentPercentage (%)

10-203433.34

21-301716.66

31-402928.44

41-501312.74

51-6098.82

Total102100.0

Average beedi rolled in a day: 715 Nos.


The above table shows the number of beedi packets rolled in a day by the respondent. One beedi packet consists of 25 beedies. It is found that majority of the beedi makers rolled between 20 to 40 packets in a day i.e. around 1000 beedies. It means respondents were involved in very hard work. They got Rs. 95 for per 1000 beedi making.

Table-4.3.8: Collection mode of raw materials ModeNumber of RespondentPercentage (%)

Direct from factory3435.30

Trough factory agent6864.70

Others--

Total102100.0


The table reveals that how the respondents collects their raw materials. Majority around 65 percent of the respondent collected their raw materials through the factory agent. The workers roll the beedi and deliver the finished product to the contractor in every week or in every 15 days and other respondents collect raw materials directly from the factory. It also shows that how the respondent delivered their finished products. It reveals that Majority around 65 percent of the respondent delivered their finished products through the factory agent in every week or in every 15 days and got their wages on that day depending on the amount of beedi rolled. And other respondents delivered their products by themselves.

Table-4.3.9: Availability of work and raw materialsTypesNumber of RespondentPercentage (%)

Whole year102100.0

Seasonal--

Total102100.0

Source: Field Survey 2015 The above table shows the availability of work and raw materials. From this table it is clear that workers in beedi industry easily get work and raw materials throughout year. They dont get any problem to get work and raw materials.

Table- 4.3.10: Work Assistance by the respondents family memberResponseNumber of RespondentPercentage (%)

Yes4342.15

No5957.85

Total102100.0


The above table shows the work assistance provided to the respondents by her family members. From this table it was found that 42.15 percent respondents got assistance in their work from her family members and most of them were daughters helped them in their work and most of the daughters were school going students which shows the possibility of child labour but most of them were working without money, as they only helped their mothers in work. And around 58 percents respondents didnt have any one to assist in their work.

Table-4.3.11: Health problemsResponseNumber of RespondentPercentage (%)

Yes6461.75

No3837.25

Total102100.0

Source: Field Survey 2015 From the above table it shows that around 62 percent of the beedi workers had health related problems which probably due to their profession. The above table various health problems of the respondent beedi workers, most probably due to their profession. Beedi rolling causes significant health hazards. Beedi rollers handle tobacco flakes and inhale tobacco dust and volatile components of tobacco in their work environment (often their homes) and are at risk for hazards. Mostly eye, breathing, back pain, chest pain, stomach problems were found highly in most of the beedi makers.

Table-4.3.12: Receiving Government facilitiesFacilitiesYesNoTotal Nos

NOs%NOs%

Children Stipend4342.155957.85102

Housing--102100.0102

Access to Medical Check up7371.562928.44102

Life Insurance102100.0--102

The above table describes the Govt. facilities which the respondents were getting. It was found that around 43 percent of the respondents children were getting stipend who were studying in schools and colleges and around 58 percent of the respondents childrens were not getting that facility because some of the respondents didnt have any student in their family and some of the respondent didnt fill up the stipend form in time due to some reason. Any of the respondents didnt get financial help for housing. Around 72 percent of the respondent accessed the free medical checkup camp in their local area in every 15 days by the Govt. And 100 percent of the respondents who were having Beedi Labour Card were covered with Rs. 10,000 life Insurance.

Table-4.3.13: Any IGA training received form Govt. NGOs or othersResponseNumber of RespondentPercentage (%)

Yes--

No102100.0

Total102100.0


From the above table it clearly shows that none of the respondent got any kind of Income Generation Tainting from any Govt. institution or from any NGOs and other sources. As most of the respondent belongs to very poor family, poverty was the main reason that induced the workers to take up Beedi work as an occupation.

4.4. Challenges and Problems of Beedi sector as well as beedi workers:Beedi rolling is one of the most popular amongst unorganized industries specially, in the state of Tripura. According to Labour Welfare Organization, Tripura has around 13,600 registered beedi workers and also has some unregistered workers. Among 13,600 beedi workers 88 Percent workers are female. These beedi workers and this sector are facing some problems and challenges. Though interaction with the beedi workers and beedi factory owners I have observed some of the some of the problems and challenges of this sector.

One major concern, of beedi associations, trade unions, and media relates to the future survival of the beedi industry. Uncertainties have been generated in this industry due to competition with the cigarette industry and the impact of tobacco-free initiatives and anti tobacco legislation. Beedi rollers have experienced the repercussions of these factors in the form of reduced availability of work. Under this circumstances it is very hard to say that in future this industry will be able to survive and as well as its workers.

4.4.1. Problems Faced by Manufacturers:In Tripura, as the raw materials are not available in the state the manufacturers mainly face problem with the import of raw materials. They state that excise duty is very much high when raw materials are imported in Tripura. 5 % tax on per one thousand leaves and 14.5 % in per kg tobacco. And Rs.11 central govt. tax on per one thousand beedies sale. The formal beedi sector also faces competition from informal, unregistered beedi manufacturers who avoid labour laws and produce unbranded beedies that escape payment of excise duties. Another big problems face by the local manufactures is that they are lacking behind with competition of outside beedi brands doing business in Tripura and also selling their products in very cheap rate. To match up with the their price and brand the local beedi producers cannot raise the price which is very tough for them to survive. This has affected the employment potential of the beedi industry in the state.

4.4.2. Problems Faced by Workers: High dependency on the middlemen:

As most of the workers collect and delivered their products through to intermediaries/ contractors the worker and the employer relation is not established. The workers are mainly depending on the middleman (Munsi) for the work. This also leads to exploitation of the workers by middleman. Rejection of beedies and issues of raw materials are very much part of the system of beedi production. Rejection of beedies and issuing less than required raw material. The rate of rejection is high, viz. 50-100 beedi per 1000 and for that the workers do not get the money for the rejected beedi but money for the raw material is deducted too. Rejection is a cause of conflict between workers and contractors. Apart from that low rate for per thousand beedi making is another problem. Health problems:

A significant part of beedi manufacture takes place at home or through a system of contractors which results in a high incidence of women and children employed in poor working conditions in beedi manufacturing. For women who work at home in small huts with very little ventilation the tobacco dust remains in the home where women and their families eat, sleep and spend their entire time. This results in their being constantly exposed to this health hazard and leading to respiratory problems.Table-4.4.1: Types of Health problems Problems areaNumber of RespondentPercentage (%)

Eye2224.86

Breathing1213.56

Back pain2325.99

Headache55.65

High B/P66.78

Stomach66.78

Heart22.26

Nerve22.26

Chest pain44.52

Stone55.65

Brain11.13

Total 64100.0


The above table various health problems of the respondent beedi workers, most probably due to their profession. Beedi rolling causes significant health hazards. Beedi rollers handle tobacco flakes and inhale tobacco dust and volatile components of tobacco in their work environment (often their homes) and are at risk for hazards. Mostly eye, breathing, back pain, chest pain, stomach problems were found highly in most of the beedi makers. Illiteracy and Lack of Access to Information:

Due to Illiteracy and Lack of access to Information the beedi workers are not able to access the benefits that are due to them or in time. There is a lack of information on the provisions of the Beedi Acts among workers.

Chapter-5Major Findings, Recommendations & Conclusion

Chapter 5 5.1. Major Findings: 1. It was found that highest number of respondent i.e. 37.25 percent of beedi makers belong to age group 36-45 years and the majority of the respondents were found between 26 years to 45 years. And the average age of the respondent was 36 years.2. Around 63 percent beedi makers belong to OBC and no schedule Tribe respondent found.3. 40.19 percent respondents belong to APL category and 39.21 percent respondents belong to BPL category and 19 respondents were listed in BPL category. 4. 102 respondents belong to Hindu religion. 5. 82.35 percent respondents were married. 6. Majority of the respondents studied in primary section and secondary stage 33.33 percent each.7. 92.15 respondents had RSBY card, MGNREGA job card holder were 95 respondents and Adhaar card holder is 100 percent.8. No SHG member was found.9. 96.08 percent respondents had bank accounts, only around 14 percent respondent had life insurance coverage beside 10 thousand life insurance as beedi labour card holder from LIC and no one have health insurance coverage.10. More than 40 percent of the respondent earned less than Rs.1500 per month.11. Around 63 percent of the respondents family earned between Rs. 5001-7000 per month.12. 55 percent of their total family expenditure spent on food. 13. 35 respondents have their own land and 67 respondents are living in Govt. reserved land which is under Sipahijala Wildlife Park, they are only resident of that land. The land is not belongs to them.14. 75.49 percent respondents house is Kutcha.15. 102 respondents family had private toilet in their home.16. 49 respondents have water supply pipe line connectivity in their house and 53 respondents have tube well in their house.17. 97.05 percent respondents had electricity connection in their house.18. 64.70 percent of respondent family uses fire wood for preparing food.19. 79.42 percent were having no livestock availability in their house.20. 65 percent of respondent got to know about this work from neighbor and 35.30 percent of respondent got to know from their family members.21. 45.09 percent of respondent working for 11 to 20 years in the beedi industry and mean experience year of the respondent was 16 years. 22. Around 62 percentage respondents entered in this sector from 15 years to 24 years. It also reveals that 17 respondents were found who entered in this sector below 14 years age which comes under the child labour act in India. Mean entry age of the women was 19 year.23. 100 percent of the respondents were working in their homes, as it is a home based work.24. Around 78 percent of respondent found who were working between 4 to 5 hours in a day. And the average working hour of the respondent was 4.16 hours.25. 100 percent of the respondents didnt have separate place to keep their products or raw materials..26. 45.10 percents of the beedi makers rolled between 20 to 40 packets in a day i.e. around 1000 beedies. Average beedi rolled in a day by a worker 715 beedies27. 65 percent of the respondent collect their raw materials and also delivered their finished products through the factory agent. 28. Availability of work and the raw materials throughout the year. 29. 42.15 percent respondents got assistance in their work from her family members and most of them were daughters helped them in their work and most of the daughters were school going students.30. 62 percent of the beedi workers had health related problems which probably due to their profession. Mostly eye, breathing, back pain, chest pain, stomach problems were found highly in most of the beedi makers. 31. 43 percent of the respondents children were getting stipend who were studying in schools and colleges, 72 percent of the respondent accessed the free medical checkup camp in their local area in every 15 days by the Govt, 100 percent of the respondents who were having Beedi Labour Card were covered with Rs. 10,000 life Insurance.32. None of the respondent got any kind of Income Generation Tainting from any Govt. institution or from any NGOs and other sources.

5.2. Recommendations:1. As the beedi making is not providing the workers enough earning and also has occupational health hazards they should go for other alternative home based works like Tailoring, Teddy bear or doll making, Agarbatti making and other home based works. So that they dont need to go outside the home for the work.2. Income Generation Training should be provided to the beedi workers by the Govt. agencies and also by NGOs, so that they can take up an income generating activity.3. A Govt. programme needs to be there that provides credit facilities to the beedi workers to take up self-employment ventures and to shift them out of beedi making into other economic activities.4. Organizing them into self help groups can be a good idea for making them self employed with an idea of income generating activity which helps them to take up an alternative livelihood to earn. 5. As most of the workers are women, it is necessary to make provision for child care centres to look after the children of working women, so that the women may look for alternatives which require them leaving their homes.6. As beedi making is a home based work, children are expected to take this work since childhood, so Govt. should look after that and the beedi factory should not allow any children to work.7. Beedi workers are not fully aware of their basic rights and facilities provided by the Govt. so, the respective department may make them aware about their rights and support them so that they can be equally treated in the society.8. Due to the nature of their work, the Beedi workers fall ill often. Therefore the Employer/ contractor must be made to pay for their treatment. Medical/health facilities must be within a reachable distance and can be utilized on even holidays, which will improve the health conditions of the workers.9. Beedi workers should make aware about the health hazards of beedi making. They should aware of using mask while beedi making, clearing hands after work is done and keep the raw materials at a particular place beyond the children reach. 10. The NGOs can take up issues concerning the female Beedi workers like their working condition, health problems and vocational training programmes.5.3. Conclusion:In India around thirty core people are working in the unorganized sector and the number is on the rise. The meaning of unorganized sector, popularly known as unprotected sector, could be without regular source of income and working throughout the year. They constitute the fringe of society and are not getting a chance to be a part of the mainstream economy. Beedi rolling is one of the most popular amongst unorganized industries specially, in some parts of the country. Women constitute a very high percentage of labour force in the industry. The reason for this is, firstly, the work is done generally from besides, women are considered to be more sincere and hardworking. Beedi rolling activity has become an instrumental in generating supplementary income among the poor families in Tripura. But, beside that Women Beedi workers are facing some problems related to this sector like high dependency on middleman which prevent them to establish a relation with the factory and this also leads them to exploitation. Occupational health hazards are one of the main problems in this sector, being constantly exposed to these raw materials which lead to respiratory problems. They have no skill in another trade, and beedi rolling has been their cottage industry for decades. In many families, the work has been passed on from generation to generation. The beedi industries have provided employment opportunity for women. The women workers are treating this work as a part time job though they spare most of their valuable resources like time, effort and health. Considering the amount of time taken and also the nature of the work, the wages paid to them are very low (Rs. 95 for rolling of 1000 beedies) with facing health hazards. So therefore, The Government and NGOs need to bring pressure on owners of beedi industries to strictly follow labour rules in their establishments and improve the living standards of the beedi rollers and beside that Govt. should provide them alternative livelihood so that they can shift them out of beedi making into other economic activities.

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