Wednesday, Sep 03, 2003
Wednesday, Sep 03, 2003 |
| Southern States | ||||
|
News:
Front Page |
National |
Southern States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | Southern States
-
Andhra Pradesh
By Our Staff Reporter
Of the 20-odd packaged drinking water units operating in various parts of the district, two have obtained the BIS certification, while the rest are yet to comply with the directions. Strangely enough, only four units have registered with the Industries Department. The two BIS standard specified units are yet to obtain the registration certificate from the Industries Department. Despite several reminders, the four units failed to honour the directions. Sources in the Industries Department said that final notices have been served on Sri Surya Mineral Water plant at Dharmaram B of Dichpalli mandal, Triveni Aqua Mineral, Kamareddy, Baba Indian Water Industries, Nasrullabad in Birkur mandal and Galaxy mineral water unit, Nandipet. The last unit has been seized by the Andhra Pradesh State Finance Corporation. The four units were asked to furnish the BIS certificate within 30 days. The officials told the units that failure to fulfil the directions would result in deregistration of the units. The officials pointed out that there is mushroom growth of unauthorised packaged drinking water units in the district. Not a single unit is functioning as per the directions of the BIS, a senior industries official lamented adding that there is no mechanism in the department wherein action could be initiated against the erring plants. The department could only serve notices on the defaulting units and deregister them but cannot close them down. Officials reason that the Industries Department has been established only to promote industries in a particular district but not to create problems from the upcoming units. The officials expressed their helplessness to act against the units, which flouted the guidelines. They could only point out that notices were served on four units and no further action is possible against the units, which are not registered with the department. The units, which are not registered with the Industries Department and are yet to obtain the BIS certification, cannot sell the packaged drinking water on commercial basis, the officials noted. Tough competition among the packaged drinking water plants has resulted in the prices of the packed cans and sachets coming down drastically. In Nizamabad town alone, over a dozen packaged drinking water units are flourishing. In some distant mandals too, enterprising youth have set up packaged drinking water plants and are supplying the same to different towns and villages. While the BIS standard certified companies are charging about Rs. 300 for 20 cans per month, some unregistered units are charging as low as Rs. 150 per month in supplying the water. The BIS certified units are seething with anger as the Industries Department has failed to crack the whip. Despite several reminders to the concerned authorities to check the mushroom growth of the unauthorised units, response from the officials has been lukewarm.
Printer friendly
page
News:
Front Page |
National |
Southern States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
|
|
|
The Hindu Group: Home | About Us | Copyright | Archives | Contacts | Subscription Group Sites: The Hindu | Business Line | The Sportstar | Frontline | The Hindu eBooks | Home |
Copyright © 2003, The
Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of
this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of
The Hindu
|
