The Anti Tobacco Forum, Mysuru, has expressed its disappointment over the Interim Union Budget 2024-25 for sparing tobacco products.
In a statement here, Convenor of ATF, Mysuru, Vasanthkumar Mysoremath said it was understandable for the present regime to play it safe by not levying taxes across different sectors, but it was an “opportunity lost” by the government for increasing the outlay to the health sector by levying taxes on tobacco products.
Though levy of tobacco tax is a central subject, he said Karnataka may consider certain levies for cleaning millions of cigarette/bidi butts discarded by smokers and cleaning the dirt due to spitting on the streets by gukta chewers.
