UP Governor approves polythene ban ordinance

LUCKNOW: Nine Days after Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath announced the ban on plastic bag use in the state, Governor Ram Naik on Sunday approved the Ordinance for stringent punishment for the manufacture, sale, and use of polythene. According to a statement issued by the Raj Bhavan, the Governor has approved “Uttar Pradesh plastics and other organisms unconditional garbage trash (Regulation of Use and Disposal) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018“. In this connection, the related law made in the year 2000 has been made more rigorous and effective while amending it through this Ordinance.

Under this Ordinance, the use of plastic bags of thickness, polythene, nylon, PBC, polypropylene, polystyrene and thermocol, less than 50 microns not biologically destroyed, and the restoration, sale, distribution, Packaging, storage, transportation, import and export etc. have also been made to be restricted and regulated in a phased manner.

It has been arranged in the Ordinance that the convicted person for the first time violation of the restrictions mentioned in this Act will be sentenced to one month’s imprisonment or a fine of at least one thousand rupees and up to ten thousand rupees. For the second violation, punishment for a six-month sentence or a minimum fine of five thousand rupees and up to Rs. 20,000 will be awarded.

The person convicted for the sale, manufacture, distribution, storage, and transportation of plastic bags for the first time violating the provisions of the Ordinance, imprisonment of up to six months or a fine of 10 thousand and the maximum penalty of 50 thousand rupees has been arranged. For the second violation, punishment for one year and a minimum fine of 20 thousand rupees and a maximum fine of one lakh rupees will be awarded.