Bangalore: The Karnataka High Court on Monday stayed a state government ban on the sale of Pepsi’s soft drinks in public places.
The stay excludes schools and colleges. The Karnataka government, through a notification on August 14, banned soft drinks in public places like schools, colleges, bus terminus, hospitals and government offices after a report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a Delhi-based NGO, that products manufactured and sold by Pepsico and other companies contained high levels of pesticide residues.
Pepsico filed a petition which said the government had no authority under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act 1954 and the Karnataka Prevention of Food Adulteration Rules 1986 to ban the sale of any article. Only the Centre had the powers under the Act, it submitted.
The state's Advocate General, Uday Holla, said the government had powers under the Act and ban soft drinks in public interest.
Justice D V Shylendra Kumar after hearing both parties, passed an interim order staying the notification. The petition will be heard again on September 25.
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