WB Left divided over cola issue

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Saturday, August 19, 2006 (Kolkata):Even as the Karnataka government files a notice and cola companies plead innocence, there is still no consensus in West Bengal on whether to ban colas or not.

A press conference by CPI leader and West Bengal Water Resources Minister Nanda Gopal Bhattacharjee was a clear indication that the Left Front in Bengal was not quite a united front on the ban on colas.

The CPI questioned why colas were not banned in the state when in Left-ruled Kerala they have already been banned.

"If Kerala can ban soft drinks then why are we allowing the people of the state to drink poisonous water," said Bhattacharjee.

Last week CPI(M) State General Secretary Biman Basu had clarified that West Bengal would not rush to ban colas and what was right for Kerala was not necessarily the case for Bengal.

"We cannot take a decision based on a report of the Kerala government like Gujarat government cannot take a decision based on Bihar government's report. A decision can only be taken based on a report by the Bengal government," said Biman Basu, State Secretary, West Bengal.

Meanwhile, reports of tests conducted on soft drinks by the Surface Water Directorate in Kolkata have been submitted to the Chief Minister.

It is now a wait for the state government to release these results.