Kerala - Kochi   

Plea against soft drink majors admitted

Staff Reporter

Companies, Government directed to file counter-affidavit

KOCHI: A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Thursday admitted a writ petition seeking a direction to the Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverage Private Limited and PepsiCo India Holdings Private Limited to stop manufacture and sale of soft drinks in the light of the test report regarding the pesticide and chemical content in the drinks.

The bench comprising Chief Justice Rajiv Gupta and Justice Siri Jagan directed the companies and the State Government to file a counter-affidavit within four weeks in response to the writ petition filed by the Palakkad-based People's Forum for Natural Justice.

The petition also sought a direction to the companies to disclose the names of all the ingredients including pesticides, heavy metals and other contaminants and also their permissible levels on the wrappers and labels of the packaged beverages.

The petitioners pointed out that there was a test report on the samples taken from the Coca-cola and Pepsi plants. The Palakkad Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, on a complaint, had directed that the sample of Coca-Cola and Pepsi plants at the Plachimada and Kanjikkode factories be sent for analysis at Vimta Labs, Hyderabad.

Tsunami

The bench also adjourned to next week the hearing on a report filed by the Kerala State Legal Services Authority (KELSA) relating to the distribution of compensation to tsunami victims. The report filed by KELSA secretary U. Sarathchandran said that despite sending a letter, the Chief Secretary had not furnished the information regarding the mode of distribution and accounting of compensation to the victims.

Meanwhile, the Kollam District Legal Services Authority in a letter to the bench sought an inquiry into the incidents in which the district officials refused to give explanations in claims cases filed by tsunami victims.

The letter said that except the Matsyafed in 18 cases, no other department had paid the compensations awarded by the Authority. As many as 4,000-odd cases were disposed of at the Lok Adalat held by the Authority.

Casual labourers

A bench comprising Justices K.S. Radhakrishnan and K.T. Sankaran restrained Malabar Cements Limited, Walayar, from making appointments to the post of Mazdoor till the Palakkad Industrial Disputes Tribunal finally passed orders on representations filed by some casual labourers seeking regularisation of their services.

In its petition, the MCL Employees Union (CITU) challenged the move of the company to appoint as many as 200 persons to the post of Mazdoor.

Judgment stayed

A bench on Thursday stayed the operational judgment directing the Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation to constitute a committee headed by Manager (Quality control) to ensure the quality of commodities purchased by the Corporation.

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