Jairam Ramesh (Rituparna Baneerji/Mint via Getty Images)Former Union environment minister and a senior member of the Congress party, Jairam Ramesh has slammed Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi's call for shunning the usage of single-use plastic, reports Indian Express.
Ramesh asserted in a post on Twitter that the proposed ban on single-use plastic would only grab headlines in India and abroad while masking Modi government's 'true environmental record'.
Ramesh further shared in his tweet that during his tenure as environment minister, he had opposed the imposition of such a ban as the sector employed lakhs of people. He also reasoned that the real problem to be addressed should be how to dispose and recycle such waste.
However, it should be noted that PM Modi had also taken up the issue and suggested the imposition of controls on the usage of plastic while addressing the gathering of Conference of Parties (COP) in New Delhi just days ago.
Meanwhile, connecting the issue with the ongoing economic situation, Ramesh said that a blanket ban on plastics at the time of an economic slowdown is a bad idea.
An Appeal...
Dear Reader,
As you are no doubt aware, Swarajya is a media product that is directly dependent on support from its readers in the form of subscriptions. We do not have the muscle and backing of a large media conglomerate nor are we playing for the large advertisement sweep-stake.
Our business model is you and your subscription. And in challenging times like these, we need your support now more than ever.
We deliver over 10 - 15 high quality articles with expert insights and views. From 7AM in the morning to 10PM late night we operate to ensure you, the reader, get to see what is just right.
Becoming a Patron or a subscriber for as little as Rs 1200/year is the best way you can support our efforts.