In order to curb milk adulteration in Maharashtra, the State Government has written to the Centre seeking a new law to make the crime punishable with death penalty.
The State Minster for Dairy Development, Mr Gulabrao Deokar, told the State Assembly on Monday that the State Government has already written to the Centre and that the communication has been forwarded to the President for consideration. Stringent laws are needed to curb the malpractice, he said.
He made the announcement during a discussion on adulterated milk.
Anti-mafia drive
Ever since the murder of the Additional District Collector, Mr Yashwant Sonawane, in Nashik by the oil mafia in January, the Maharashtra Government has launched a special drive against the mafia who indulge in adulteration of milk, fuel oil and sand.
Mr Deokar said that in the last one year, 27 sites have been raided, 35 cases registered and 2.32 lakh litres of milk confiscated.
The State Food and Drugs Administration has decided to launch a dedicated helpline for milk adulteration complaints.
The idea of setting up a dedicated helpline came up from suggestions given by various NGOs on how to curb large-scale milk adulteration in the Sate.