Articles by Abhay Bang

Globally, tobacco consumption is one of the most important preventable causes of mortality. While tobacco's ill effects on health are well studied, private expenditure on tobacco remains hidden and neglected. This study shows that personal as well as government efforts towards development have been more than neutralised by the free reign of tobacco in Gadchiroli district, Maharashtra. Since the expenditure on tobacco is likely to result in worsening of poverty in addition to adverse health consequences, the government should strongly consider stricter implementation of the tobacco control policy as an important strategy.

of these contractors so as to establish their monopoly over the contracts awarded by the irrigation department for repair and maintenance of embankments. The provisions relating to award of government contracts clearly envisages that no individual can run more than one company in his name. But the review of the bona fides of contractors showed that 91 contractors had registered themselves in all classes of contractors and thus established a monopoly over the contracts of the irrigation department. Similarly, the department found that hundreds of contractors were running as many as six companies each. Another 124 contractors were found who had been bagging contracts for years but on whom not a single file was available in the irrigation department.