Tobacco Board awards presented

ITC retained its place as the best exporter of cigarettes and unmanufactured tobacco in 2005 under the manufacturer category while the second and third positions in the two segments under the same category were bagged by Godfray Philips of India (P) Limited (New Delhi) and Vazir Sultan Tobacco Industries Limited (Hyderabad) respectively.

The Indian Leaf Tobacco Division (ILTD) of the ITC occupied third place in the tobacco products export category.

The Indian Tobacco Board presented awards to these firms and felicitated their representatives at a function organised to celebrate its 29th anniversary here recently.

Polisetty Soma Sundaram (Guntur) came first in the export of unmanufactured tobacco in the non-manufacturer category. The second and third prizes were awarded to Alliance One Industries India Private Limited (Guntur) and the Deccan Tobacco Enterprises (Guntur) respectively.

The best exporter award under tobacco products category went to R M Dhariwal-HUF (Pune), and the second best to Sopariwala Exports (Mumbai).

Among tobacco dealers, Pragati Tobacco Traders of Tangutur was adjudged the best, Indian Tobacco Traders (Limgamgunta) as the second best and the Rajasekhara Enterprises of Tangutur as the third best.

The Tobacco Board also felicitated nine best farmers in Karnataka, 20 best farmers in Andhra Pradesh, and one best farmer in Orissa.

J Bapu Reddy, chief guest, R Sambasiva Rao, MP, P Dayachari, Tobacco Board chairman, Y Sivaji, farmers' leader, Ch Venkateswara Rao, Tobacco Board member, S Janardhan Reddy, CEO, ILTD, and Javaregowda honoured the award winners.