Times of India

Bangalore, Dec 16: The state government has withdrawn the notification banning sale of carbonated beverages in certain places.

Advocate-general Udaya Holla on Friday placed before Justice D V Shylendrakumar a memo containing the government order withdrawing the August 14, 2006 ban order and a request for dismissing the petition filed by Pepsico India.

The judge considered the matter and disposed of the petition as infructuous. The counsel for the company, however, prayed for continuation of the case that questioned rule 4 (3) of the Karnataka Prevention of Food Adulteration Rules.

On August 14, the state government had issued a notification banning the sale of carbonated beverages in schools, colleges, hospitals and government offices.

Pepsico India challenged this and the judge partially stayed the notification. The government's move followed an expose by the Centre for Science and Environment, a Delhi-based NGO which highlighted the harms of consuming the softdrink.

The state government's decision comes a day after the Union health minister A Ramadoss proposed a blanket ban on junk food and colas in school and university canteens across the country in an effort to fight rising obesity among the youth. He said, "Colas with or without pesticides are harmful for health and should not be consumed."

The Centre also proposes to write to all vice chancellors to implement the ban.