HC: Implement 85% pictorial warnings on cigarette packs immediately

The Rajasthan High Court Wednesday slammed the Centre for not implementing its earlier order on larger pictorial warnings on cigarette packs. The court was hearing a contempt petition.

In July, the HC had stayed the Central government’s March 26 corrigendum withholding implementation of 85 per cent pictorial warnings on both sides of cigarette packs, as mandated by the 2014 anti-tobacco rules and had asked the Central and state governments to implement larger warnings. The contempt petition came up during the hearing of a PIL filed by advocate Rahul Joshi, seeking larger pictorial warnings on cigarette packs. The court told the government to take immediate steps for implementation of the larger warnings.