Oppn seeks life imprisonment for food, juice adulterers

Opposition members on Wednesday demanded a provision of life imprisonment for those selling adulterated foods and juices.

The issue was raised by Congress member Amit Deshmukh in the state Assembly through a Calling Attention notice.

Deshmukh said theBrihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) during an inspection in the city recently found that majority of the samples of lemon and sugarcane juices being sold in the open were adulterated.

It was also observed that some farmers used the chemical sewage released from factories in the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) area in Dombivali township of neighbouring Thane district to grow vegetables along the railway lines, he said.

Deshmukh said such acts posed a risk to people's lives and urged the government to take action.

NCP leader Ajit Pawar said the state government had earlier recommended to the Centre that life imprisonment be awarded to those accused of adulterating milk.

Pawar also demanded life sentence for those selling adulterated foods and juices in the open and assured cooperation of opposition parties in bringing such a provision.

State food and drug administration minister Jaykumar Rawal said in such cases, the licensing authority was the local civic body, but the FDA was taking action whenever incidents of food adulteration were brought to its notice.

From April to May this year, action was taken against 8,012 hawkers and 21,463 kg of food items, 36,054 litre of lemon juice and 1,16,823 kg of ice were seized following inspections in Mumbai, he informed the House.