Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Ritabrata Banerjee expressed his opposition to the decision allowing the extensive use of plastic bags for food grain procurement. Banerjee criticized the Union Ministry of Food and Public Distribution for permitting the use of plastic bags, calling it a dilution of jute with the Ministry of Textiles’ approval.
He argued that the government’s reasoning of a shortage in jute bags leading to the permission for plastic bags was misleading. Banerjee highlighted that the scarcity was not a natural occurrence but a result of policy inaction, leading to market instability and economic challenges for jute farmers and workers.
Banerjee emphasized the negative impact of such policies on the jute industry, stating that the sector was suffering due to unfavorable government decisions. He raised concerns about the environmental implications of replacing jute with plastic, contradicting the government’s sustainability goals.
