Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution on Environment: Lok Sabha 2013-14 Q. No. Q. Type Date Ans by Members Title of the Questions Subject Specific Political State Ministry Party Representati ve Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Foodgrains for Calamity Prone 1235 Unstarred 05.03.2013 Distribution Shri Narahari Mahato States Disaster Management AIFB West Bengal Shri Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy INC Andhra Pradesh Shri Nripendra Nath Roy AIFB West Bengal Shri Manohar Tirkey RSP West Bengal Consumer Affairs, Food and Public 4666 Unstarred 23.04.2013 Distribution Shri Datta Raghobaji Meghe Packaged Water Water Management INC Maharashtra Consumer Affairs, Food and Public 5573 Unstarred 30.04.2013 Distribution Shri Datta Raghobaji Meghe Packaged Drinking Water Water Management INC Maharashtra Shri Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy INC Andhra Pradesh Shri Parvatagouda Chandanagouda Gaddigoudar BJP Karnataka Shri Ravneet Singh INC Punjab 2890 27.08.2013 Consumer Shri Rayapati Sambasiva Rao Quality of Bottled Water Water Management INC Affairs, Food and Public Unstarred Distribution Andhra Pradesh Shri Jagdish Singh Rana BSP Uttar Pradesh Shri C. Rajendran AIADMK Tamil Nadu 3081 11.02.2014 Consumer Shri P. Karunakaran Quality of Packaged Drinking Affairs, Food and Water Public Unstarred Distribution Health and Sanitation CPI(M) Kerala FOODGRAINS FOR CALAMITY PRONE STATES 5th March, 2013 LSQ 1235 SHRI NARAHARI MAHATO SHRI MAGUNTA SRINIVASULU REDDY SHRI NRIPENDRA NATH ROY SHRI MANOHAR TIRKEY Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be pleased to state:- (a) whether the Government proposes to maintain additional stock of foodgrains on priority basis in the drought and flood prone States of the country; (b) if so, the details thereof, State-wise; (c) whether the Government has issued instructions to the Food Corporation of India to keep a minimum stock for several months in the said States and has also urged the States to lift foodgrains sufficient to meet the Public Distribution System requirement for six months; (d) if so, the details thereof, State-wise; and (e) if not, the reasons therefor? MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (PROF. K.V. THOMAS) (a) No Madam. (b) Does not arise in view of (a) above. (c) to (e) No such instructions have been issued to FCI. However, Government of India has permitted the States/UTs for lifting and distribution of upto six months ration under Targeted Public Distribution System in one go, subject to certain conditions. PACKAGED WATER 23rd April, 2013 LSQ 4666 SHRI DATTA RAGHODABI MEGHE Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be pleased to state:- (a) whether new companies are regularly entering into production and sale of packaged water due to the increasing demand; (b) if so, whether the Government issues any licence to these companies; (c) if so, the number of companies to which licences have been issued during the last three years along with the total number of companies engaged in this business presently, State- wise; and (d) the total quantum of packaged water produced and consumed daily in the country, State- wise? THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (PROF. K. V. THOMAS) (a) :Yes, Madam. (b) : As per Food Safety and Standards ( Prohibition & Restriction on sales) (Amendment) Regulation 2011, ` No person shall manufacture, sell or exhibit for sale, Natural Mineral Water & Packaged Drinking water, except under the BIS Mark.` In view of the above regulation, BIS has been granting licences to manufacturing units of Packaged Drinking Water as per IS 14543:2004 and Packaged Natural Mineral Water as per IS 13428:2005, to use BIS Standard Mark on these products since 2001. (c) : The number of licences granted for Packaged Drinking water as per IS 14543:2004 & Packaged Natural Mineral Water as per IS 13428:2005 in the last three years (YEAR-WISE) is at Annexure-1. State-wise number of companies engaged in manufacturing of Packaged Drinking Water and Packaged Natural Mineral Water respectively as on 17 04 2013 is at Annexure-2. Total number of Packaged Drinking Water licences is 3633 and total number of Packaged Natural Mineral Water licences is 22, as on 17.04.2013. (d) : Desired data/information is not maintained by Government. STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (c) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4666 FOR 2.3.4.2013 REGARDING PACKAGED WATER For Packaged Drinking Water as per IS 14543 Period No. of licences granted 01 01 2010 to 31 12 2010 783 01 01 2011 to 31 12 2011 832 01 01 2012 to 31 12 2012 692 01 01 2013 to 17 04 2013 200 For Packaged Natural Mineral Water as per IS 13428 Period No. of licences granted 01 01 2010 to 31 12 2010 03 01 01 2011 to 31 12 2011 05 01 01 2012 to 31 12 2012 03 01 01 2013 to 17 04 2013 Nil Annexure-2 STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (c) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4666 FOR 2.3.4.2013 REGARDING PACKAGED WATER Sl. No. State/UT No. of Licensees of No. of licensees of Packaged Packaged Drinking Water- Natural Mineral Water- IS IS:14543 13428 1. Andaman & Nicobar 2 - 2. A.P 484 - 3. Arunachal Pradesh 2 - 4. Assam 39 - 5. Bihar 69 - 6. Chandigarh 1 - 7. Chhattisgarh 70 8. Dadra and Nagar Haveli 3 - 9. Daman & Diu 5 - 10. Delhi 59 - 11. Goa 15 - 12. Gujarat 363 2 13. Haryana 92 - 14. H.P 15 15 15. Jharkhand 45 - 16. J&K 18 - 17. Karnataka 248 - 18. Kerala 95 - 19. M.P 117 - 20. Maharashtra 465 1 21. Manipur 7 - 22. Meghalaya 1 - 23. Mizoram 1 - 24. Nagaland 4 - 25. Orissa 106 - 26. Pondicherry 2 - 27. Punjab 46 - 28. Rajasthan 73 - 29. Sikkim 2 - 30. T N 870 - 31. Tirupra 9 - 32. U.P 170 1 33. Uttarakhand 19 3 34. W.B 116 - Total 3633 22 PACKAGED DRINKING WATER 30th April, 2013 LSQ 5573 SHRI DATTA RAGHOBAJI MEGHE SHRI MAGUNTA SRINIVASULU REDDY SHRI P.C. GADDIGOUDAR SHRI RAVNEET SINGH Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be pleased to state:- (a) the details of the standards fixed bythe Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) forpackaged drinking water; (b) whether the Government hasreceived reports/complaints regarding illegalsale of packaged drinking water in violationof the quality norms and without any valid licences; (c) if so, the details thereof and thereaction of the Government theretoindicating the number of such complaints received along with the steps taken there on during each of the last three years and thecurrent year, State-wise; (d) whether any mechanism is in placeto check the quality of packaged drinkingwater; and (e) if so, the details thereof indicating the number of samples tested and the outcome thereof during the said period alongwith the corrective steps taken in this regard? THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (PROF. K. V. THOMAS) (a): Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has formulated following Indian Standards on Packaged Drinking Water: # IS 14543:2004 Indian Standard – Packaged drinking water (other than natural mineral water) – Specification (First Revision) # IS 14543: 2004 prescribes the requirements, methods of sampling and test for drinking water (other than natural mineral water) offered for sale in packaged form. (b) & (c): Yes, Madam. Total 282 complaints have been received regarding illegal sale of packaged drinking water. Action have been taken by the concerned State / Union territory Governments, which includes suspension of manufacturing activities, seizure of the products and prosecution under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. (d) & (e): BIS ensures the quality of Packaged Drinking Water manufactured by its licensees through a well-defined certification scheme wherein regular surveillance is done of the licensees by factory inspections and drawing of samples from factory & market and their independent testing to check the conformity of the product to relevant Indian Standards. If such licensees are found not meeting the norms prescribed in the relevant Indian Standards, actions like warning, stop marking, deferment of renewal of licence, expiry of licence and cancellation of licence are taken. Such actions depend on the seriousness of default and/or frequency of recurrence of failures or unsatisfactory operation of the licence. The details of number of samples drawn and outcome thereof is enclosed at Appendix-I. APPENDIX - I STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (d) & (e) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5573 FOR 30.4.2013 REGARDING PACKAGED DRINKING WATER. S.No Actions Taken Period Period Period Current-Year (2010- (2011-2012) (2012-013) 1April -22ndApril 2011) 2013 1. No. of Samples Drawn 23 50 59 10 2. No. of Samples found Failing 4 0 1 0 3. No. of Warning letters issued 3 0 1 0 4. No. of stoppage of marking due to 1 0 1 0 failure of samples and unsatisfactory performance 5. No. of Licences Cancelled/ Expired/Not 0 0 0 0 renewed QUALITY OF BOTTLED WATER 27th August, 2013 LSQ 2890 SHRI SAMBASIVA RAYAPATI RAO SHRI JAGDISH SINGH RANA SHRI C. RAJENDRAN Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be pleased to state:- (a) whether any irregularities have been noticed/reported in grant of licences for setting up of plants/factories producing packaged/mineral drinking water; (b) if so, the details thereof indicating the total number of licences issued and irregularities reported during each of the last three years and the current year along with the action taken thereon, State-wise; and (c) whether any mechanism is in place to check the quality of packaged/mineral water and if so, the number of samples tested and those found violating the norms during the said period along with the corrective steps taken in this regard, State-wise? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (PROF.