P M Bhargava, founder director of Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology and chairman of The March, a city-based non-governmental organisation, has suggested the Centre to ban multi-national soft drink makers from the Indian market as their products were contaminated with pesticide residues at more than the levels permitted by European Union.
Addressing a press conference, Bhargava demanded a ban on Coca-Cola and Pepsi.
Expressing concern over the invasion of MNCs in the major sectors of Indian economy, he faulted the nexus between bureaucrats and foreign companies for such proliferation.
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Asking why do we need Monsanto when India has about ten laboratories which can make Bt cotton, he advised the Centre and state governments to plug the gaps in the system.
"In our country, we don't have standards for borewell water on lines of city water and the source of water, which Coca-Cola and Pepsi use for making softdrinks, is leaving many questions unanswered," he said.
Bhargava advised the Centre to set standards for water and other food and drink products at par with international standards. The Prevention of Food Adulteration Act should be modified to enhance its purview to cover drinks adulterations also. Bureau of Indian Standards should be revised.
"According to the international standards, one micro gram of pesticide per litre is permissible with an overall maximum limit of 0.5 micro gram per litre but there were 32 types of pesticides and norms in our country in this regard are not clear," Bhargava explained.
He demanded that Sharad Pawar committee should collect all the primary data from various organisations that have analysed samples of Coca-Cola and Pepsi apart from holding public hearings at Hyderabad, Bangalore and Ahmedabad including all the metros.
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