Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 07: Kerala Health Minister P Sankaran today said production and distribution of Coca Cola would be stopped if the samples of the soft drink produced at the Plachimada Plant in Palakkad district contained hazardous substances. Replying to a submission in the state assembly, Sankaran said samples of the soft drinks had been collected from the plant and from four stockists and sent for examination.
The test result was expected in a week, he said, adding government would take stringent action against the plant if tests proved that the samples contained hazardous substsances. He said the unit had been directed to stop supplying the company waste as fertilisers to farmers and destroy the same in a proper manner. Government viewed the issue very seriously, he said.
On the demands of some members in the house that government order an immediate closure of the plant, Sankaran said the unit was functioning after getting necessary clearance from pollution control board, factories and boilers and groundwater authority.

"Ordering a closure without a detailed test might lead to litigation. Government would be forced to pay compensation to the company," he said, adding it did not want to protect anybody in this case.
Bureau Report