new delhi health minister a ramadoss has started feeling the heat over the pesticidesincola controversyafter being accused of dillydallying on the issue of setting standards for carbonated beverages the health minister was on monday pulled up by lok sabha speaker somnath chatterjee for his absence from the houseramadoss who was to issue a statement in parliament on monday on the issue of pesticide content in soft drinks did not turn up instead he sent across a suo moto statementi resent his absence from the house chatterjee said however when the house met at 2 pm ramadoss tendered an apology and assured the speaker that such a lapse would not recur following this the speaker allowed the minister to lay a copy of his statement on the table of the housemeanwhile the health ministry has set up a national level expert committee to advise the central committee for food standards on the issue of pesticide residue in soft drinks n k ganguly chairman indian council of medical research will head the committeean ngo and the centre for science and environment cse claimed to have found unacceptable levels of pesticide residues in 11 soft drinks a few days ago some lok sabha mps have sought a nationwide ban on the sale of the beveragesin a suo motu statement in the lok sabha the government said the manufacturers had to use the water that constitutes 8692 of carbonated water in soft drinks as per the packaged drinking water standards prescribed under the prevention of food adulteration rules 1955 which was later amended and notified in october 2004the fourmember expert committee headed by ganguly will guide the pesticide residue subcommittee on technical aspects regarding fixing of mrls including methodology toxicity processing factor and health risks conforming to the internationally accepted codex working principlesit will also guide the government on how to monitor pesticides in other food stuffsthe ministrys action the statement said was based on the recommendation of the joint parliamentary committee which had also suggested that the eventual goal should be to seek complete freedom from pesticide residues in sweetened aerated waters