New Delhi (PTI): The tobacco industry is putting "pressure" on Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to revise the Anti-Tobacco Act, the ministry has revealed before the Central Information Commission.

It has also said that there are number of cases going on in various High Courts and revealing any details about the meetings of group of ministers in this regard would weaken the stand of the government.

Information Commissioner Annapurna Dixit accepted the arguments of the Health Ministry and asked them to forward the application to Parliament so that affidavits filed by the government in Himachal Pradesh High Court, in the case, can be provided to the applicant -- Shanmuga Patro.

Advocate Patro has asked for the information related to packaging and labelling rules, 2007 for the tobacco industry from the Ministry. Patro wanted to know the recommendations and reports on the basis of amendments made in the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act.

Last month, the Health Ministry gave nod for labelling the cigarette and bidi retails packs, to be started from December 1, with gory pictures of cancer and other diseases caused due to tobacco consumption.

In the order, the government had relaxed the norms for the big bidi packages exempting it from such depictions. It allowed manufacturers to display specified health warnings on retail packages only.

The relaxation allegedly came under pressure from different industry associations, including the All India Bidi Industries Federation.