Alcoholic drinks be delisted from food items: Assocham

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

New Delhi, Feb 14 (UNI) Industry body Assocham has described the government's decision to bring 'alcoholic drinks' as part of food as unfair, saying it will help the Centre to further regulate alcohol manufactures under Food Safety and Standard Act 2006.

Assocham Secretary General D S Rawat has regretted that inspite of the recommendations made by the Indian industry that alcoholic drinks should not be part of the definition of food since it is mandatory to level them as 'Injurious to Health, its suggestions have gone unheeded.

The chamber has sought review of this decision arguing that the alcoholic manufactures will be heavily regulated and their manufacturing, processing, distribution and sale will be adversely effected.

The decision, he said, is against the split of the constitution as liquor industry is regulated be the state of the Centre.

''Can the manufacture, storage and distribution of liquor be regulated by the Centre when the constitution provides for distribution of power between the Union and the states,'' Mr Rawat said in a representation sent to the Ministry of Food Processing and Industry.

The industry body regeneration also points out that intoxicating liquors are specially covered by entry 8 of states list and this places all aspects such as manufacture, possession, transport, purchase and sale of intoxicating liquors within the state's sphere.

''According to Supreme Court, states have the exclusive power to grant licenses for manufacture of beer, wine and similar other intoxicating liquor under entry 8 of states list and the provisions of Industries (Development and Regulation) Act and can not restrict this power and therefore the decision to make alcoholic drinks as part of food is totally unjustified,'' Assocham said.

It has therefore sought its immediate withdrawal requesting the Food Processing Ministry that if the decision is not withdrawn, the liquor industry will be divested at a time when deregulations are at peak.

UNI

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