Shopkeepers need not pay fee for plastic carry bags: Govt

In a major relief to shopkeepers and registered street vendors, the government has waived the fee they had to pay to allow them to provide plastic carry bags for dispensing commodities. It has also dropped the explicit provision made in 2016 that the carry bags should be given only on additional payment. Of course, the quality of plastic used for the carry bags has to match as prescribed in the rules. A gazette notification issued on March 27 amends the Plastic Waste Management Rules issued in March 2016, requiring registration with the local body and payment of minimum Rs 48,000 or Rs 4,000 per month as the plastic waste management fee.