Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Tuesday alleged that the plastic ban is an attempt by the State government to extort money from plastic manufactures and use it for electioneering. Mr. Thackeray appealed to people not to pay the fine until the government and civic bodies improve basic public amenities.
He said, “The ban is a farce. The move is an attempt to extort money from plastic manufacturers before the Assembly elections.” Mr. Thackeray said he expected the ban to be overturned within two or three months. He said, “The ban has been implemented exactly the same way as demonetisation was introduced. Adequate preparations were not made and decisions were changed after widespread public outrage.”
Mr. Thackeray said the government was quick to impose fines on residents, but had done nothing to fill potholes and clear garbage in the city. He said, “First, install dustbins and then clean rivers. Do your work and only then slap fines. The Chief Minister must address this issue. If the government is not going to provide any alternatives to plastic, we will oppose the fine. I am urging people not to pay the fine.”
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Mr. Thackeray alleged that the civic bodies were using the ban as an excuse to avoid cleaning the nullahs. He said, “Do the civic bodies provide enough dustbins to collect garbage? The government is clueless about waste management and has no plans of managing plastic waste. This is an attempt to shirk responsibility.”
Mr. Thackeray asked how certain food items were allowed to be wrapped in plastic. He said, “What was the procedure followed in other countries? What happened in other States? Chief Minister has not said a word about it. Is it the State government’s decision or that of a single department?”
Mr. Thackeray also snapped at Environment Minister Ramdas Kadam who urged him not to oppose the government’s ‘good’ decision. Mr. Kadam had claimed that the fine was imposed so that it act as a deterrent. He also taunted the MNS chief saying that the ban had been backed by his nephew and Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray.
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“He [Kadam] should not talk about personal relationships,” said Mr. Thackeray.