Bhubaneswar, April 27: While anti-tobacco activists across the country are busy lobbying for pictorial warnings, here volunteers are still struggling for the notification of the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003.

For the past two years, voluntary organisations have been on their toes trying to press the government to notify the Act. Till now reports stated that state health department officials had “promised” to “speed up” the procedures to notify the Act.

But, recently, to everyone’s surprise, it was found that the Act has already been notified way back in 2004 and published in the Orissa Gazette No-735 (dated May 31, 2004). And that officials were unaware of the notification.

A copy of the notification was reportedly sent to the state chief secretary and officials of departments including health and family welfare, home, law and information and public relations for a follow up.

So far, government offices that have received the notification, has not reacted to it.

The home department, drugs controller, food supplies and consumer welfare department, authorised to implement the law under the Act, are not aware of its modus operandi.

As a result, no action is being taken, lamented activists of Voluntary Health Association of India, who found the notification copy. Under the National Tobacco Control Programme, the state and district tobacco control cells should start functioning by now. As of now, the state tobacco control cell has been established and three districts (Koraput, Jagatsinghpur and Jharsuguda) have been selected to initiate tobacco control activities on a trial basis. However, recruitment is yet to be made, delaying the process.

According to the finance department, no tax is being levied on tobacco — as should be under the Orissa Value Added Tax Act. Earlier, revenue was collected by the Centre through additional excise duty. But from this fiscal, the state government would collect the revenue, more than Rs 35 crore, according to sources.