COMMON CAUSE Vs. UNION GOVERNMENT

JUDGEMENT

(1.) - In this Petition brought by the Common Cause, the main grievance put forward by the Petitioner- Society is that adequate steps are not being taken by the Government of India and the State Governments to insist on iodisation of edible salt sold to the general public in the goitre-prone areas of this country.

(2.) In response to notices issued by this Commission, the Government of India has appeared before us through Counsel and placed before us statistics available with them identifying the goitreprone areas and also explained the various steps taken by the Government of India for enforcement of its policy of complete iodisation of the salt sold in the market throughout the country by the year 1992. The State of Uttar Pradesh, within whose territory there are many goitre-prone areas, has filed a detailed counter-affidavit before us wherein it has been stated that a total ban has now been imposed by the State on the sale of non-iodised salt anywhere within the State of Uttar Pradesh and that necessary amendments for making such sale of non-iodised salt an offence under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act have been carried out in the said Act and the rules.

(3.) We have also had the benefit of submissions regarding the working of the scheme formulated by the Government of India by Mr. Mathur, Research Officer, Goitre Control Programme, Government of India.