Farmers’ body FAIFA asked Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to protect interests of Indian tobacco farmers while formulating GST laws.

The Federation of All India Farmer Associations (FAIFA), a non-profit organisation representing farmers across states such as Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Gujarat, also said there should not be any discrimination among cigarette, bidi and chewing tobacco farmers.

Last week the GST Council had approved tobacco cess to be kept as a mixture of Rs 4,170 per 1,000 sticks or ad valorem of 290 per cent.