SC admits petition challenging govt's notification

New Delhi, Feb 6 (UNI) The Supreme Court today admitted a petition challenging the government's notification dated November 7, 2005 putting a blanket ban on the production, sale and use of non-iodised salt for direct human consumption.

A Bench, comprising Justices B N Agrawal, P P Naolekar and R V Raveendran, admitted the petition after hearing the counsel for the petitioner-- Academy of Nutrition, Improvement and other NGOs.

The petitioner's counsel contended that the impugned notification, making the consumption of iodised salt compulsary, was arbitrary and unconstitutional.

The petitioner also contended that many western countries like the US, Switzerland, England, Japan and Italy, among others, which had earlier made the consumption of iodised salt compulsary had to withdraw their orders due to increase in number of deaths and rise in diseases like hyperthyroid, dysentery, cholera, gastroentritis and others and had to permit the consumption of both types of salts later.

The stand of the government while bringing the notification was that the non-iodised salt will do more harm to the people in general rather than improving and maintaining their health.

UNI