Those who adulterate milk, food and drugs will now get life imprisonment for the crime. While making the punishment harsher, the state assembly has also made the offence cognisable and non-bailable. So far, sections 272 to 276 of the Indian Penal  Code (45 of 1860) made adulteration punishable with imprisonment of up to six months, or fine which may extend to R1,000, or both. The offences were bailable.

Food and Drugs Minister Girish Bapat tabled a bill to amend the existing law which the power house approved unanimously on Thursday. The law has been amended on the lines of the initiative taken by Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.