High Court issues notice to Uttar Pradesh govt on polythene ban

Allahabad, The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday has issued a notice to Uttar Pradesh government seeking a reply over petitions challenging the ban on polythene effective from January 21 in Uttar Pradesh.

The petitions have challenged UP government order of December 22 last claiming that the state government has no power to issue such order.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice Yashwant Verma issued a notice to the UP government. The court has fixed February 4 as the next date of hearing.

The petitions alleged that for the past two decades lakhs of people are engaged in the manufacturing and they will go jobless after the ban. Besides, petitioners also said that the state government has no authority to ban the polythene.

On November 18 last, the high court had directed the state government to issue a notification for complete ban on the sale of polythene across the state by December 31, 2015 in wake of its negative impact on people's health as well as environment.

As per the government order, the polythene ban in the state, prohibits manufacturing, importing, purchasing,use and storage of all kinds of plastic carry bags.