The Hindu Business Line : CII, FICCI decry ban on colas

FICCI and CII on Thursday came out in support of the aerated beverages manufacturers in the ongoing controversy on high levels of pesticide residue in soft drinks.

Concerned over the ban on soft drinks by some States, FICCI President Mr Saroj K. Poddar said: "If without following due process of law Governments start announcing a ban, India's credibility as a law-abiding country may come into question."

While Kerala announced a blanket ban on the production and sale of aerated beverages in the State, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Chattisgarh have banned them in educational and Government institutions.

Speaking to newspersons, FICCI Secretary-General Dr Amit Mitra said that Mr Poddar would write letters to the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, and the Kerala Chief Minister, Mr V.S. Achuthanandan, requesting them to follow the due process of law.

"It is important that due process is followed so that no investors say `we have not got justice'," he added.

CII President Mr R. Seshasayee also called the Government action "seemingly arbitrary and avoidable" and one that has caused "unnecessary panic."

In a release, he said: "We are a law-abiding country. Government actions have to be driven by rule of law and in the overall public interest. We are concerned that the apparently arbitrary decisions have been taken to ban manufacture and sale of the carbonated beverages, without going through the due process of law."

Currently, soft drink manufacturers conform to the input standards as had been made applicable to them. They remain open to standards that are scientific, can be implemented, have a validated testing protocol and conform to best practices, according to the chamber.

The CII President expressed satisfaction at the constitution of a national-level committee by the Ministry of Health to examine the matter in greater detail.

Meanwhile, Hyderabad-based laboratory Vimta Specialities, in a letter to the food wing of FICCI, outlined some "critical steps" that it found missing in the CSE-led procedure of carrying out tests on the soft drinks.

In response to Vimta's allegations, Ms Sunita Narain, Director of CSE, maintained that the soft drinks were tested against BIS standards that have been laid down, but not notified by the Government as yet.

"We are not in favour of a ban. We want regulation. We are concerned with the health of the people. Bans are not a long-term solution, but are short-term expressions of concern by State Governments," she said, adding that Vimta should place its own tests in the public domain. "Its allegations against CSE are contemptuous."

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