Delhi govt proposes life term for food adulteration

Food adulterators will face life imprisonment under a new provision envisaged by the Delhi government aimed at combatting adulteration, it was announced on Friday.

“In extreme cases where adulteration could lead to severe health loss, the Delhi government proposes <g data-gr-id="28">maximum</g> of life imprisonment,” an official statement here said. Taking a strong view on adulteration, misleading advertisements and unhygienic manufacturing of food, the Delhi government plans to make the provisions of punishment more stringent.

For this, the Delhi government will amend the existing Food Safety & Standards Act, 2005, in the next session of the Delhi Assembly, said the statement.

The statement warned that there would be <g data-gr-id="19">considerable</g> increase in the quantum of punishment for different offences in this category.

For example, punishment for possessing adulterant which is injurious to health will not be less than five years which may extend up to life imprisonment or with fine which may extend to Rs 10 <g data-gr-id="26">lakh,</g> or both. Earlier, the penalty in this category was Rs 10 lakh fine only.

Punishment for possessing adulterant which is not injurious to health will now be imprisonment for a term which may extend up to three years or with a fine which may extend to Rs 5 <g data-gr-id="32">lakh,</g> or both. 

Earlier fine in this category was Rs 2 lakh, the statement said. A fine of Rs 10 lakh or thrice the cost of the advertisement, whichever is more, will be the penalty for misleading advertisement whereas earlier it was Rs 10 lakh only.