Supreme Court Gives 2 days to Government to regulate the use of plastic for packaging gutka and tobacco products

Supreme Court Gives 2 days to Government to regulate
the use of plastic for packaging gutka and tobacco products

Updated – Friday, February 18, 2011

Rajasthan High Court order banned the use of plastic sachets.
Then an appeal was filed by gutka and pan masala manufacturers challenging a Rajasthan High Court order banning use of plastic sachets.


The bench had on December 7 restrained gutka, pan masala and chewing tobacco industry from using plastic as packaging material for their products by March 1 this year and ordered the government to entrust an independent agency to test the contents of these sachets to evaluate the risk they pose to consumers.

The court was hearing petitions filed by different gutka, pan masala and chewing tobacco manufacturing companies seeking modification of its ruling of banning use of plastic as packaging material for their products by March 1 this year.

Supreme Court in December 2010 gave order and directed the Centre to come out with the law within eight weeks which expires on February 4.

The apex court pulled up the Centre for delay in notifying Plastic Management and Disposal Rules which were framed in 2009 but have not been notified.

Pleading for more time, a Central government counsel said that rules have already been framed in September 2009 and only a formal notification is required to implement the law.

Then Supreme Court Bench said that
“How much consultation would you do for notifying the rules?
One year and four months have already passed,”

“We are not going to give you more time.
No question of giving more time.
You should notify the law within two days available to you (government).
You would violate the court’s order at your peril,” a bench headed by Justice G S Singhvi said, directing the government to meet the deadline set by it in December.

The Supreme Court refused to grant more time to the Centre for implementing the law to regulate the use of plastic for packaging gutka and other tobacco products and asked it to notify that within two days.

Once Again Supreme Court of India doing the Job of government.
I do not understand why so much delay to notify it?
For every good law Supreme Court has to order to Government of India to make that law.

Updated – Friday, February 18, 2011
Supreme Court of India acts strictly –
Gutka and pan masala will not be sold in plastic sachets from March 1.

Only because of Supreme Court strict orders to government the environment ministry on February 7 had notified the rules and brought it into force immediately.
They now have 11 days to make their product packaging free of plastic content.

Supreme Court of India also told the manufacturers to bring in their petitions challenging the legality of the new rules before the SC.
SC ordered that none of the HCs would entertain petitions against the 'no use of plastic' notification.

Reality Views by sm –
Thursday, February 03, 2011