MPs bat for tobacco lobby on pictorial warnings

New Delhi: Members of a parliamentary panel looking into the vexed issue of pictorial warnings on tobacco products are understood to have favoured drastic reduction in size of such warnings to 50% from the proposed 85%, terming it "too harsh".

Ahead of the April 1 deadline for increasing pictorial warnings on cigarette and beedi packets from present 40 to 85%, the panel suggested that it should be 50% instead, as "the proposed graphic warnings have potential to severely affect Indian farmers and companies".

"The Committee is of the considered view that in order to have a balanced approach, the warning on cigarette packets should be 50% on both sides of the principal display area instead of 85% of the area, as it will be too harsh and will result in flooding of illicit cigarettes in the country," the report suggested.

Sources said though a number of committee members was not present, those present have authorised Chairman Dilip Gandhi to finalise the report. pti