Lok Sabha Debates
Regarding Presidential Assent To The Plachimada Coca Cola Victims Relief And ... on 17 March, 2015
Sixteenth Loksabha an> Title: Regarding Presidential Assent to the Plachimada Coca Cola Victims Relief and Compensation Claims Special Tribunal Bill 2011.
SHRI P.K. BIJU (ALATHUR): Deputy Speaker Sir, I would like to draw your attention to the following matter: Sir, Plachimada, a predominantly tribal village in Perumatty Gram Panchayat in my constituency, had over the last one decade become synonymous with common people’s fight against Coca Cola’s over-exploitation of water.
The Coca Cola bottling plant set up in March, 2000 began drawing over five lakh litres of water from the wells on its premises each day. The plant was producing one litre of coca cola from four litres of water leaving behind 2.7 litres of wastewater and solid wastes. The Coca Cola company had distributed the solid wastes to the farmers as fertilizers, thus harming the farmland too. A high level campaign and fight against this Coca Cola company resulted in the temporary shutdown of the plant in March, 2004.
The Kerala Government had set up a high level committee headed by the Additional Chief Secretary as the Chairman and this Committee continuously looked into this matter and gave a report to the Government of Kerala. It found that there has been a decline in the agricultural production, production of milk and meat. Metals like cadmium, lead and chromium were detected in milk and meat. This Committee recommended to the Government that Rs.216.25 crore should be paid as compensation to the poor people, the Adivasi victims.
The Government of Kerala unanimously passed ‘The Plachimada Coca Cola Victims Relief and Compensation Claims Special Tribunal Bill 2011 and sent it to the Union Government for Presidential Assent but the UPA and the NDA Governments sent back the Bill and not obtained the Presidential Assent to the Bill.
I urge upon the Central Government to take immediate steps to get the Presidential Assent for this Bill. Thank you.