Illegal sale of foreign cigarettes goes unchecked in Jammu
Amit Khajuria
Tribune News Service
Jammu, February 14
Foreign cigarettes are being illegally sold in Jammu and Kashmir, but no action has been taken by the departments concerned.
Some of the foreign cigarette brands like Win, Black, Mond, Esse Light, Mild Seven, Paris, etc, are easily available in Jammu market and sellers are fearlessly selling them without any hesitation.
If there is some problem with these brands, the administration should change the packing or levy taxes on them, but as per the demand it will be wrong to ban them.
A cigarette seller
The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) has made it mandatory to have graphic health warning on the 85 per cent space of the cigarette packet and the Union government levies heavy taxes on the tobacco products to discourage their sale. But these foreign cigarettes have no health warning on it.
According to sources, these cigarettes are being illegally smuggled from countries like China, Malaysia and South Korea to evade taxes and are being sold in India at cheaper rates with heavy margin to the sellers.
A cigarette outlet owner said they get a handsome margin on these cigarettes as compared to Indian brands and consumers also preferred to buy such cigarettes due to its international quality and brands.
The seller said they did not face any problem in selling such brands as no one had told them to stop selling them. “If there is some problem with these brands, the administration should change the packing or levy taxes on them, but as per the demand it will be wrong to ban them,” the seller said.
