Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has issued an order capping the retail price of bottled drinking water at Rs 13 per litre.

The order, issued by the civil supplies department on Tuesday, states that the price should not exceed Rs 13 for one litre and all bottles should have the new price printed. A litre of drinking water is now priced at Rs 20.

The Left government had earlier decided to bring packaged water under the ambit of the Essential Commodities Act.

The government decided to regulate the price of bottled water following widespread complaints from the public about its exorbitant price.

Though the government had mulled cutting short its price to Rs 11-12 two years ago, it could not be implemented due to the protest from large-scale bottled water manufacturers and traders.

The price cut was possible as bottled water has been made an essential commodity.

The Kerala Bottled Water Manufacturers Association has said they were willing to bring down the MRP to Rs 12 two years ago itself, but a group of members were against it.

There are 200 odd packaged drinking water manufacturers in the state and some are allegedly functioning without license against whom the government would have to take action.

(With PTI inputs)