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HC stays govt decision to destroy Coke`s empty bottles
New Delhi, Sept 17: The Delhi High Court today stayed the government decision to destroy empty glass bottles of Coca Cola not having the mandatory embossed declaration after the soft drink major gave an undertaking that it would not use them.
New Delhi, Sept 17: The Delhi High Court today stayed the government decision to destroy empty glass bottles of Coca Cola not having the mandatory embossed declaration after the
soft drink major gave an undertaking that it would not use them.
Issuing notice to Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Justice B D Ahmed asked it to file reply on Coca Cola's allegation that government direction to destroy the empty glass bottles lying unused, segregated and stacked separately in various plants and godowns across the country was illegal.
Government had initiated the process to destroy the empty glass bottles of Coca Cola on the ground that the body of the bottles did no have the mandatory marking -- "sweetened aerated water, contains no fruit juice". The Centre through a notification in December 2000 had made it mandatory that these markings or declarations were to be on the bodies of the container instead on the label.
However, Coca Cola contended that through an amended notification of March 2001, where the year has been embossed on the bottles, effective dates were specified for complying with the provisions of embossing those declarations.
The soft drink major said for the bottle embossed with the year 1997, the effective date for those provisions was April 2003 and for the bottles of 1998, it is April 2004.
Government standing counsel Navin Chawla accepted the notice on behalf of Ministry of Food Processing Industries. Coca Cola submitted that till the "sweetened aerated water" is put in the container the question of marking would not arise as per the provisions.
Bureau Report
Government had initiated the process to destroy the empty glass bottles of Coca Cola on the ground that the body of the bottles did no have the mandatory marking -- "sweetened aerated water, contains no fruit juice". The Centre through a notification in December 2000 had made it mandatory that these markings or declarations were to be on the bodies of the container instead on the label.
However, Coca Cola contended that through an amended notification of March 2001, where the year has been embossed on the bottles, effective dates were specified for complying with the provisions of embossing those declarations.
The soft drink major said for the bottle embossed with the year 1997, the effective date for those provisions was April 2003 and for the bottles of 1998, it is April 2004.
Government standing counsel Navin Chawla accepted the notice on behalf of Ministry of Food Processing Industries. Coca Cola submitted that till the "sweetened aerated water" is put in the container the question of marking would not arise as per the provisions.
Bureau Report