NEW DELHI: The Centre on Wednesday deferred a final decision on displaying pictorial warnings on tobacco products as a Group of Ministers was unable to take a final decision due to lack of quorum. The July 2006 notification under the Cigarette and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Rules, 2006 was to be enforced from June 1.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had constituted the six-member GoM led by Pranab Mukherjee to review the matter following opposition from various quarters. It will meet again in mid-June.

"Health is important"

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Anbumani Ramadoss said all this was being done at the behest of the tobacco lobby which was instigating workers that they would be put out of jobs if the notification was implemented. He said the skull and crossbone warning would not hurt the religious sentiments of any community. "Religion is not more important than health," he said. Mr. Mukherjee had reportedly said earlier that skull and crossbone sign would hurt the sentiments of Muslims.

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said while India had received international acclaim for its efforts in tobacco control but the implementation had to deferred for the time being as all the GoM members were not present at the meeting.

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