Strongly opposing the Maharashtra government’s ban on plastic products, the All India Plastic Manufacturers’ Association (AIPMA) today said the move will adversely impact the Rs 50,000-crore industry and it may take legal actions if the issue is not resolved.
“The Maharashtra Plastic and Thermocol Products Notification, 2018 is impractical, unrealistic and is not the solution for underlying issue of pollution. There is complete ambiguity in the ban issued and it will adversely impact the industry which contributes nearly 35 per cent to the state’s GDP,” AIPMA president Hiten Bheda told reporters here.
According to the association, the total plastic industry in Maharashtra alone is around Rs 50,000 crore while the ban-related products is nearly a Rs 5,000-crore market.
Also, the plastics processing industry is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 10.5 per cent between financial years 2014-15 and 2019-20 to reach 22 million tonne per annum.
Bheda said AIPMA is in talks with various stakeholders and government authorities to quash the blanket ban and is ready to work with the government to support the anti-littering initiative.
“We are talking to various stakeholders. We will try to convince the government authorities. But if we do not get the desired response, we may take a legal stand against the notification,” he added.
He further said that the GST collection from this sector in Maharashtra is around Rs 8,400 crore and the share of disposable plastic items, which are to be subjected to the ban, is Rs 800 crore.
“This decision will devour the plastic industry and also affect the state’s economy. The ban will also adversely impact the sectors dependent on the plastic industry like the food and beverage, medical, retail, garment, packaging, dairy, among others,” said Bheda.
According to the association, this ban has affected manufacturers, traders, distributors, retailers and other stakeholders of the plastic industry and will result in unemployment on a large scale as the industry employs more than 4 lakh people at present.
“Also, around 2,150 plastic industrial units will be shut after this ban,” he said.
