Cola ban gaining ground across states
The Times of India
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NEW DELHI - Only tests and investigations will tell whether your children's soft drinks contain pesticides or not, but state governments are not willing to take chances. While some have already banned the colas in educational institutions, others are mulling following suit.
Several schools in Mumbai, including those affiliated to the Archdiocesan Board of Education, also decided to ban the sale of soft drinks on their campuses without waiting for the state government's directions.
On Sunday, the Madhya Pradesh government decided to ban the sale of soft drinks in government offices and educational institutions. "We will ban sale of colas in canteens at government offices and educational institutes," chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan told reporters, adding that orders in this regard will soon be issued.
In Gujarat, Kirit Adhvaryu, private secretary to state education minister Anandiben Patel, said the government has banned the sale of aerated drinks in all government-run schools and colleges, with effect from Monday. However, health minister Ashok Bhatt said the state government is not empowered to impose such a ban. "We have asked the food and drugs commissioner to seek guidance from the Centre in this connection," he added.
In Kerala, the ruling Left Democratic Front at a meeting recommended that the state government ban the sale of the soft drinks. The Centre for Science and Environment had said on Wednesday that a fresh survey by its pollution monitoring laboratory had found that, on an average, the soft drinks contained 24 times higher amount of pesticides than approved by the Bureau of Indian Standards.
Soon after, Punjab banned the sale of the soft drinks in the Vidhan Sabha canteen on Thursday, followed by Haryana on Friday. Rajasthan government, too, imposed a ban on colas in the one lakh government and private institutes in the state on Friday. Delhi, too, is contemplating a similar ban in all schools.
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