Delhi Govt's `reasons' to protect plastic

Delhi Govt's `reasons' to protect plastic
KOTA NEELIMA

NEW DELHI, JANUARY 6: Last month, the Delhi Government's much-talked-about bill to ban recycled plastic bags was shoved into the cold storage. Today, the Delhi Government asked the Centre for an 8-per-cent tax concession on raw plastic. Does the ruling Congress have any special interest in plastic industry? The Indian Express investigations reveal it has.

n The Congress MLA from Mangolpuri, Raj Kumar Chauhan, not only owns Sanjiv Plastic Factory in Jwalapuri, but also has a plastic scrapyard which supplies raw material to manufacturers of recycled plastic. No wonder then that he seconded the move to send the bill to the select committee when it was tabled in the Delhi Assembly.

Chauhan says he and his brother own the company and they also supply raw material to plastic bag manufacturers. The factory employs more than 100 people and manufactures plastic shoes.

Chauhan, who is also the president of the PVC Market Association of Jwalapuri, says: ``Plastic is recyclable and it is major source of employment.A kilo of scrap plastic is sold for Rs 10 to Rs 75 depending on the state of the scrap. Now, how can rag-pickers be deprived of such lucrative option?''

He adds: ``By recycling plastic, we save Rs 247crore in foreign exchange annually. We also clear bout 3,000 tonnes of garbage, which otherwise would have cost the government 250crore annually.''

Saying he is glad that the bill is being referred to the select committee, he assures: ``When I began the plastic business for 25 years. When I started it I was 50kg in weight, now I am 70kg. I have not developed any problem of any kind with any of my organs.'' He says only recycled plastic is picked and the non-recyclable plastic is left on the roads.

n Delhi Finance Minister Mahinder Singh Saathi too have a plastic connection.

He is the managing director of Max Filters and Equipment Private Limited, a factory situated in 88, Udyog Vihar, Phase-I in Gurgaon. ``We make injection moulding which is made from raw plastic and we recycle the scrap that is left tomake automobile parts and other things,'' says P.K. Dasgupta, senior manager of Max Filters. ``We recycle everything that is not used in the process of moulding but we do not make polybags.'' ``I am the managing director of Max Filters and my son Tejpal is the director,'' Saathi says. ``We manufacture filters and plastic-moulded items. But we don't use recycled plastic. There is nothing illegal about it.'