The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Centre to consider making milk adulteration punishable with life imprisonment.
The SC suggested the tough measure as part of a set of guidelines it issued while disposing a PIl on increased instances of milk adulteration.
Showing zero tolerance to adulteration of milk and milk products, a three-judge Bench of the apex court said, “In India, where traditionally infants and children are fed milk, its adulteration is a concern and stringent measures need to be taken to combat it.”
For the Centre, the SC’s intervention can come in handy in cracking the whip on people indulging in wrongdoing, with a comprehensive Bill. Currently, adulteration in food items is a punishable offence under Section 272 of the Indian Penal Code with a maximum punishment of six months.
Some States such as Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Odisha have introduced a stringent law by amending this Section in their States, making food adulteration punishable with life term. The Centre had also sought to act tough against people involved in food adulteration by the enactment of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 , which provides for a heavy fine of up to Rs 10 lakh.
It was in this backdrop, the PIl was filed by one Swami Achyutanand Tirth demanding life term for milk adulteration.
Asking the Centre to follow the example set by the States, the Bench of Chief Justice TS Thakur, Justices R Banumathi and UU lalit said, “It is desirable that the Union of India revisits the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 to revise the punishment for adulteration making it more deterrent in cases where the adulteration can have an adverse impact on health.”
Giving examples of UP, West Bengal, and Odisha, the Bench said, “The respondent Union of India shall also
make penal provisions at par with the provisions contained in the State amendments as indicated above.”
The petition had cited a report titled “National Survey on Adulteration of Milk” which was based on results of random milk samples lifted from various parts of the country.
The results showed the presence of hazardous chemicals, caustic soda, and detergents in some samples. The court noted with concern, “Prolonged consumption of milk adulterated with chemicals may affect vital body organs and may pose a health risk to infants, children and also adults.”
Proposing a set of guidelines, the Bench asked States and the Centre to generate awareness and increase vigilance over addition of chemicals and pesticides to milk and milk products by forming teams for surprise checks and setting up dedicated laboratories for testing presence of adulterants. In addition, the States were asked to identify high risk areas (where petty food manufacturers are present) and occasions (particularly around festivals) when there is higher risk for ingesting adulterated milk and milk products.