Opposite poles attract! The old saying seems to have a real example to flaunt here. Two people who are leading their lives as a married couple at home, are working for extremely opposite causes when they are out. If Poonam Khetrapal Singh, as the WHO regional director for South-East Asia head is a votary of strong anti-tobacco policies, her husband A Didar Singh, as the FICCI General Secretary is advocating the cause of those affected due to anti-tobacco stance of the Government.
Besides other business interests of the industry, the ex-IAS official has been recently actively taking up the cause of the tobacco sector. His better half is also an ex-IAS officer.
On behalf of the business chamber, Didar Singh had recently written to the Union Health Secretary, lov Verma opposing the Ministry's proposed move to amend Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 or COTPA 2003. The amendment aims to tighten the regulations on the tobacco industry, including cigarettes. He said the amendments “will have far reaching impact on the domestic cigarette industry in India and also further encourage the illicit trade in this sector.”
The ex-bureaucrat pointed out a ban on advertising at the point of sale and retail display will only result in over regulation of “already heavily regulated cigarette segment which represents only a small share of total tobacco consumption.”
Didar Singh also sought withdrawal of the Government’s recent order providing size of the health warnings to be increased to 85 per cent of the principal display area on package containing the tobacco products from the current 20 per cent.
His wife, also an ex-IAS Officer, Poonam Khetrapal, however, had welcomed the move and sought higher taxes which are especially effective in reducing tobacco use among lower-income groups and in preventing young people from starting to use tobacco. There is a need to increase the health warning size to deter people from consuming tobacco products, she said.
When contacted, Poonam Khetrapal said, “As the Regional Director of WHO South-East Asia Region, my views on tobacco control are on record and unequivocal. WHO supports taxation and pictorial warnings as an evidence-based intervention for tobacco control. My husband’s views are his own and do not influence my views in official matters.”