Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers D.V. Sadananda Gowda has assuaged fears of the plastic industry over a move to ban the use of plastic, saying that the Centre’s target was single-use plastic.
He said single-use plastic was an issue being addressed now. The Minister was speaking after inaugurating the new campus of the Central Institute of Plastic Engineering and Technology (CIPET) here on Thursday.
He said institutes like CIPET would help in skilling Indian youth to drive the Make In India programme as visualised by the Prime Minister. Mr. Gowda said people under the age of 35 formed nearly 65% of India’s population, and that more areas were being opened up to provide jobs.
He said the State government had fully cooperated with the Centre to ensure that the new CIPET campus was readied in time. The government provided more than three acres, besides pitching in with an equal share to meet the total cost of ₹24.90 crore.
Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan said institutions like CIPET would be drawn in to offer training to foreign students. It is a form of soft diplomacy which will raise the prestige of India abroad. He added that he would extend all support to ensure that foreign students got enrolled at CIPET centres across the country in the near future.
CIPET has been in operation for over the past seven years and has been providing support to the plastic industry in the State. The Centre has already rendered more than 2,000 technology support services for the industry. The testing laboratory at the Centre is accredited by NABL and approved by BIS, said a press release issued during the inauguration.
Eloor municipal chairperson C. P. Usha; K. N. Madhusoodanan, vice-chancellor of Cochin University of Science and Technology and Kashi Natha Jha, joint secretary, petrochemicals and director general of CIPET S. K. Nayak were among those who spoke on the occasion.
