The Centre today announced the constitution of a 15-member Joint Parliamentary Committee headed by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar to find out the veracity of reports of excessive pesticide residues in colas, and set safety standards for soft drinks, fruit juices and other beverages.
The JPC was constituted by Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi, which included 10 Lok Sabha and five Rajya Sabha members. Though a specific deadline has not been set, the committee is expected to submit its report by the beginning of the next session of Parliament.
Union Parliamentary Affairs and Health Minister Sushma Swaraj said the government had suggested the JPC be led either by Opposition leader Sonia Gandhi or her deputy Shivraj Patil.
The speaker later chose Pawar
