Food adulteration offenders in state may get life in jail

The current law is weak. Amendments need to be made and we are bringing in a bill for it. The state government is committed to stop this malpractice. GIRISH BAPAT, FDA minister

MUMBAI:IN a bid to curb food adulteration, the Maharashtra government plans to make the harmful practice a non-bailable offence and increase jail term up to life imprisonment for offenders.

Girish Bapat, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) minister said the state government will introduce a law regarding this matter. Responding to a callingattention notice by Ashok Jagtap over milk adulteration in and around Mumbai, Bapat said, “The government is committed to stopping the malpractice.” He said the amendments to the Prevention of Food Adulteration (Maharashtra Amendment) Act will be tabled in the House during the on-going winter session of state legislature.

Jagtap, a Congress legislator, said that between the collection points of milk and the distribution centres, it turns “poisonous”, “endangering lives of consumers from children to elderly”.

Bapat said that a bill to amend sections 272 to 276 of the Act will be brought in.

“The Indian Penal Code (IPC) is silent on it [adulteration]. The current law is weak. Amendments need to be made and we are bringing in a bill for that. Apart from making the offence non-bailable, the law will also provide for life-imprisonment to the guilty depending on the severity of the offence,” Bapat said.

Currently, those found guilty of food adulteration could face imprisonment of six months, and a fine of ₹1,000.

Meanwhile, Hemant Takle from the Nationalist Congress Party questioned the minister regarding the state government having an expert agency or laboratory to test samples in order to curb the malpractices. “Unfortunately, research is not given priority. However, we are trying to get instant test kits, where people can test the milk by dipping a strip in it. At this point, these strips are costly, around ₹120150, and we are trying to get them at lower rates,” Bapat said.