Uttar Pradesh tobacco traders today joined the nationwide protest against the new central rule to implement 85 percent pictorial health warning on tobacco products in India.
The micro retailers selling tobacco products viz. paan, bidi, cigarette etc under the aegis of UP Vyapar Sangh, alleged the new rule would only spur the trade of smuggled and counterfeit tobacco products in the country.
The traders' body has demanded an investigation into the alleged 'motives' behind the new rule mandating implementing of 85 percent graphic health warning on tobacco products.
They demanded an immediate rollback of the order in the larger interests of over 45 million people dependent on tobacco industry for their livelihood. At present, the cigarette packets have to carry 40 percent graphic health warning in India.
Addressing the media here, Sangh secretary Harsh Agarwal claimed India already had the maximum level of 40 percent graphic health warning vis-s-vis all the leading tobacco producing and leading tobacco consuming countries in the world.
There are an estimated over half million traders, retailers and pan sellers selling tobacco products across UP.
He rued the 85 percent rule was not applicable on foreign and smuggled cigarette brands, which was not only hurting the domestic industry, but causing loss to the exchequer by duty evasion.
Agarwal claimed almost 25 percent of the cigarette sold in India was smuggled.
Meanwhile, he informed the matter of 85 percent health warning was being heard by the Karnataka High Court and the next date of hearing was fixed for June.
