Ban on single-use plastic items lacks preparation, says Delhi Minister Gopal Rai

New Delhi, July 16: The Centre did not prepare enough to provide people alternatives and shift manufacturing units to green options before banning single-use plastic and the curbs cannot be imposed forcibly, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai has said.

He also claimed the union government did not even call a meeting of state environment ministers before the ban came into force.

"I think it (announcement of the ban) lacked preparation. Stakeholders should have been told about alternatives and the government's support to help them shift to the green options... I think these issues should have been resolved before announcing the ban," Rai told PTI in an interview.

The minister said raw materials for alternatives to single-use plastic items attract high GST, which makes the product unviable for people.

"The GST rate on green alternatives and their raw material should have been slashed before the implementation of the ban... The central government was required to prepare a proper mechanism. The curbs cannot be enforced forcibly," he said.