Pune: After the plastic ban was implemented by the State government on March 23, the traders and manufacturers all over Maharashtra had to shut their units, suffering severe
losses.
Ravi Jashnani, President of Maharashtra Plastic Manufacturers Association (MPMA), said, “According to the notification, after the ban, the traders or manufacturers cannot sell stocked plastic in Maharashtra, but they can sell outside Maharashtra. Now they have changed the time period to decide the alternative of plastic, but the condition has not been changed. This means the government is making us suffer and not finding the solution to the problem.”
Arvind Mehta, Chairman of Governing Council of All India Plastic Manufacturing Association, told Sakal Times that 3,500 plastic factories have been affected due to the ban in Maharashtra - situated mainly in Pune, Mumbai, Nashik, Aurangabad and Jalgaon. Approximately Rs 5,000 crore was the annual income of these companies.
Mehta said, “Approximately Rs 400 crore is the loss they are facing monthly. Along with it, the manufacturers are facing Goods and Service Tax (GST) loss of Rs 900 crore. Around four lakh people, directly and indirectly, are unemployed, along with those working in the largest recycling centre in Malegaon.”
“If such situation continues, then it will be difficult for the people who are unemployed to look for employment in some other industry. Because already the nation cannot provide employment for all and this can be an addition to unemployment. The idea of compostable bag is welcomed but the plastic manufacturers have not yet converted their businesses into the production of compostable bag,” Mehta said.
Deadline looming
According to the notification, the State government had given a month’s time to find an alternative to plastic. But the duration has now been increased till June 23. However, if the government does not come up with an alternative soon, then it will be a big problem for the ones who are into plastic manufacturing.
