TAMPA demanding to withdraw the proposed plastic ban

CHENNAI: On Thursday, a demonstration will be conducted by The Tamil Nadu Plastic Manufacturers’ Association (TAMPA), as it has been demanding that the government should withdraw the proposed plastic ban which is going to be brought into effect from the 1st of January, 2019.

B Swaminathan, chairman, environment committee of the association said that, “It is unfortunate that instead of taking a considered decision based on scientific facts, the state government has chosen to announce the ban under Rule 110 in the state assembly as a pet project and the same is reluctantly being implemented by the officials of various departments.” 

The proposed ban will be affecting more than 5,000 plastic industries, mostly small and medium enterprises (SMEs). They will be forced to close down and investments to the tune of Rs 3,000 crore will become aimless. Loans to the tune of Rs 4,000 crore have been availed by the SMEs, which will be considered as non-performing assets after the proposed ban comes into effect, he warned.

Other than that,  the government will also be losing a revenue of Rs 1,800 crore annually which is earned in the form of GST from these units. Many units will be shifting their business to the neighbouring states, where the land and infrastructure are being offered by the governments to set up their industry.

Virendra Kumar Bhayani, the president of TAMPA, said that while the government is spending crores of rupees and conducting meetings for global investors for the purpose of attracting investments, they have also chosen to bring the existing industries to submission by a government order. The ban will be causing unemployment for 2 lakh people and this decision was taken without any consideration and alternate steps for the industries and its employees, he said.