The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Walkout over baby food row

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Wednesday, Mar 19, 2008
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Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Walkout over baby food row

Special Correspondent

Opposition accuses Sreemathy of favouring firm facing action

Health Minister refutes UDF allegation
Says no food adulteration charge against firm

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Assembly witnessed yet another Opposition United Democratic Front walkout on Tuesday, this time over the allegation that Health Minister P.K. Sreemathy had issued an order favouring a baby food maker facing proceedings under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act.

The Health Minister refuted the allegation and said all that she had done was to give the baby food making unit three months’ time to comply with a directive of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) with regard to packaging of the product and the description of the contents on the container. The action against the firm was not over food adulteration and the grace period was given under provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006, which had replaced the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act of 1954, Ms. Sreemathy said.

MLA’s charge

However, V.D. Satheesan (Congress), who sought leave for an adjournment motion to discuss the issue, contended that the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act had not been repealed and that the Health Minister’s action amounted to preventing Health Inspectors from conducting inspection of baby food making units under the rules of the PFA Act and take samples for verification.

The Bureau of Indian Standards had written twice to the State government, on February 16 and August 2, 2006, seeking action against the makers of the baby food in question.

The manufacturer of the brand, named ‘Ragitone,’ had approached the government admitting that his company did not have certificate for manufacturing baby food and requesting it not to initiate action against the company for three months so as to enable it to comply with the legal requirements. The Health Minister wrote on the application ‘Give them three months’ time,’ thereby preventing the Health Inspectors from initiating action against the company, he argued.

The Health Minister said it was incumbent upon the government to give the company sufficient time to take corrective action and pointed out that the alternative would be to order closure of the unit, which would have resulted in loss of employment for many and a gain for multinational monopolies operating in the market. It was nobody’s case that the company had indulged in food adulteration, she added.

Once Speaker K. Radhakrishnan denied leave for the adjournment motion, Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy announced the walkout on the plea that the Health Minister’s action was gross violation of the relevant legal provisions. The Minister, he contended, had no legal authority to prevent collection of samples by the Health Inspectors and initiation of further proceedings against the company.

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