Don’t feel happy if you happen to chance upon a pack of cigarettes that do not have the statutory warning ‘smoking is injurious to health’
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Don’t feel happy if you happen to chance upon a pack of cigarettes that do not have the statutory warning ‘smoking is injurious to health’. Because many dealers in the state are selling imported fags worth Rs 250 or more per packet without the warning, thus violating the law and evading tax.
Officials of the Legal Metrology Department conducted a survey and found out that the dealers are avoiding the warning, as people prefer to buy packets without the pictures of the cancer-affected lungs.
No declaration
Cases have also been registered against 33 vendors selling imported cigarettes without the proper declaration.
The department officials also conducted a special drive to understand the trading methods adopted by these dealers. It was carried out under the guidance and supervision of Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection, Girish Bapat and Special IGP and Controller of Legal Metrology, Amitabh Gupta.
Taking stock
The officials booked 33 defaulters under the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 and the Legal Metrology (Package Commodities) Rules, 2011. These vendors were selling imported cigarettes without the names of the manufacturers, price, details of import and so on.
Amitabh Gupta told mid-day that they conducted the survey across the state and found violators in areas like Vile Parle, Bandra, Churchgate, Charni Road and several parts of Pune and Nashik.
“We are investigating the matter and trying to find out how the dealers get the stock,” said Gupta.
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