Godfrey Phillips, ITC resume cigarette production

NEW DELHI: Leading cigarette manufacturers Godfrey Phillips India and ITC have resumed production after getting directions from the government on what kind of pictorial warnings should be displayed on the packets.

When contacted, GPI Vice-President Marketing Neeta Kapur confirmed that the company has resumed production since Monday.

Similarly, an ITC official also confirmed the same saying the company has "even resumed dispatches".

GPI officials said as per the government order existing pictorial warnings would continue.

ITC and GPI had stopped production of cigarettes on December 1, in view of uncertainty over the sort of pictorial warnings that needed to be carried on tobacco products starting this month.

ITC, whose brands include India Kings, Gold Flake and Navy Cut, had stopped production at all five units across the country.

GPI had stalled production at two units on December 1. It makes brands like Four Square, Red and White and Cavanders.

The government on December 7 had decided to retain the existing pictorial warnings on cigarette and bidi packages for one more year.

The Cabinet has decided to retain the current pictorial warnings for one more year, after which it will be reviewed in December 2011.

The existing pictorial warnings -- a scorpion on bidi packs and a cancer-affected lung on cigarette packs -- were to be replaced by a cancer-affected mouth, from December 1 after a notification by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in May this year.