<h1>Tobacco tax overhaul could raise duties but risks harming farmers and workers without clear transition measures.</h1> The Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025 would replace the GST compensation cess on specified tobacco products with a framework allowing higher taxes; MPs warned that steep duty hikes could harm farmers, bidi rollers and processing-chain workers, increase counterfeiting and illicit markets, and urged calibrated tax design, transitional measures for alternative livelihoods, and further scrutiny such as referral to a select committee.