July 13, 2007
Zeenews.Com
New Delhi, July 11: The government is set to take a final view today on the controversial issue of displaying skull and crossbones warning on tobacco products, especially bidi. A Group of Ministers (GoM), headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, will meet today after an earlier meeting on May 23 deferred the matter till mid-June in the absence of quorum. The warnings on all tobacco products were to come into effect from June 1.
The review of the implementation of the decision to display pictorial warnings on all tobacco products came following immense pressure on the government ever since health ministry announced that all tobacco products should carry warnings, covering half of the package. Several MPs and political parties from states like Andhra Pradesh having large bidi industry, had opposed the move saying it will affect the industry.
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