The Supreme Court on Thursday raised the pitch for harsher punishment of life imprisonment to persons engaged in adulterating milk with synthetic additives and urea. Calling on States, particularly in the northern belt, to suggest whether suitable amendments in law should be made to serve this end, the bench of Justices KS Radhakrishnan and AK Sikri was of the view that the current punishment of a simple jail term and meager fine was grossly inadequate in a matter that concerns life and death of innocent citizens. The Court has posted the matter for hearing on January 30.
Hearing a PIl filed by Swami Achyutanand Tirth, who complained of adulterated milk finding its way into the Capital, the bench found that for offenders caught doing the act, the Food Safety Act
prescribed a punishment of six months imprisonment. The Court was buoyed by efforts taken by Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Odisha in
this direction.
With Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan, already having responded to the PIl, the bench added the states of Punjab and Madhya Pradesh to submit their responses.
It further directed the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India to report on adulterations in milk samples and the action taken against the offenders.
While Delhi reported that in past five years, no case of adulteration of urea or synthetic milk was found, neighbouring state of Haryana admitted that except for mixing of water and powder, no major case of adulteration had been detected in the recent past.