New Delhi, Sep 30. (UNI) The ban on scenes on celluloid or television containing smoking scenes which was slated for October two has been put off to January 1, throwing a damper on anti-smoking activists.

The Health Ministry has accepted a proposal in this regard by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, following strong protests from the film and TV industry.

I and B Ministry sources told UNI that a proposal to this effect had been put forward in mutual discussions with officials of the Health Ministry, which had agreed in view of the practical difficulties involved in implementing the ban so soon.

This is the second postponement of the ban, for which the first deadline had been August 15 announced by Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss on World Anti-Tobacco Day on May 31.

Later, the date had been put off to October 2 following representations from the entertainment industry which got support from the I and B Ministry.

The Health Ministry had at that time also agreed to certain other concessions suggested by the I and B Ministry.