Govt. asked to reply on applicability of Food Act on ‘liquor products’

The Madhya Pradesh high court today granted four weeks time to the central government to file reply on the issue of including liquor products in the Food Safety & Standards Act 2006, implemented in the state in 2011.
A bench of Justice KK Lahoti and Justice TK Kaushal today granted the time of four week, earlier the same bench issued notice to the centre on petitions filed by liquor distributors of Bhopal and Jabalpur against the inclusion of 'alcoholic drinks' under the definition of food in the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The liquor distributors through the petition have sought to declare the particular section of the Act, relating to 'alcoholic liquor' as ultra vies of the Constitution. The petitioners have also sought direction from the court to the central government not to compel them to obtain licenses under section 31 of the 2006 Act.
The Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006 came into effect from 5 August 2011. The Act was passed in Parliament in 2006 to replace the Prevention of Adulteration Act 1954.
Assistant Solicitor General RL Gupta and SA Dharmadhikari appearing on behalf of central government sought time to file reply & the same was granted. Senior Advocate Ravindran Singh and senior advocate Naman Nagrath appeared for the petitioners.