The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Health Ministry to check adulteration

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Thursday, Jun 30, 2005

Kerala

Kerala - Kochi

Health Ministry to check adulteration

Staff Reporter

High CourtRound-up

KOCHI: A Division Bench was informed by the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry that the Health Ministry had been requested to issue instructions to the chilli producing States to initiate steps under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act for stopping the use of chillies mixed with Sudan Red by the food industries.

The Ministry also submitted in an affidavit before the Bench comprising Chief Justice Rajeev Gupta and Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan that requisite measures had been taken to stop adulteration of chilli powder and chilli products.

The court closed a writ petition seeking a direction for taking immediate measures to prevent the sale of chilli powder adulterated with Sudan Red in the domestic market.

The petition was filed by C.R. Neelakandan Nambudiri, president, Earth Society, Thrikkakara, Ernakulam.

According to the petitioner, the chilli powder exported was found to be adulterated with the banned dye called, Sudan Red-1.The petitioner feared that the remaining consignment of adulterated powder stocked at the godown of the exporters would be distributed in the domestic market. The petitioner also sought a directive for formulating and establishing foolproof control and monitoring mechanisms to check adulteration.

Minority status

Justice Kurian Joseph on Wednesday quashed the Government Order rejecting eight applications, including the ones filed by Rajagiri College of Engineering in Ernakulam, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and Kanjirapally Dioceses, seeking minority status to the newly started self-financing colleges.

Allowing the petitions filed by them, the court said that the other institutions owned by the managements had been enjoying minority status for decades. The court directed the Government to consider the applications afresh and pass appropriate orders.

It was pointed out that a Division Bench had earlier found that prime facie eight self-financing institutions including the petitioners were entitled to get minority status and directed the Government to consider granting minority status to the eight institutions.

Import of kerosene oil

Justice K. Balakrishnan Nair dismissed a writ petition challenging the Exim policy announced in 2003 which stipulated that Super Kerosene Oil could only be allowed to be imported through the oil companies. The petition was filed by a firm in Palakkad.

Principal's petition

The court directed that the Principal of St. Alberts' College, Ernakulam, be given an opportunity of being heard while taking action on the inquiry report submitted by the syndicate members into the incident of not allowing the centralised valuation camp for post-graduate courses to function in the college.

The direction was issued while disposing of a writ petition filed by the Principal against the inquiry ordered by the Vice-Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi University.

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