FICO delegation meets MLA Gurpreet Gogi 

Ludhiana, May 24, 2022: A delegation of Federation of Industrial & Commercial Organization (FICO) under the leadership of Gurmeet Singh Kular (President) along with Rajeev Jain (General Secretary) and Mankar Garg Head FICO Plastic Division met Gurpreet Gogi, MLA Ludhiana West and discussed in detail the issues faced by the plastic manufacturers of Ludhiana, and requested him to personally intervene and resolve the issue. The issues discussed were as under:

Allow 75 Micron Carry Bags: The plastic carry bags are the substitute of the paper carry bags and we all are well aware that the total forest cover of Punjab is only around the 6% of total area of Punjab. On the grounds of Gazette Notification No. CG-DL-E-12082021-228947, dated 12.08.2021 of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India & the Public Notice issued on 14.05.2022 by Delhi Pollution Control Committee that has allowed the Plastic Carry Bags with thickness not less than 75 microns, and non-woven plastic carry bags to be made up of 60 Grams per Square Meters. FICO also demanded to allow the manufacturing of plastics carry bags with 75 Microns & non-woven plastic carry bags made up of 60 GSM.

Single Use Plastics: During the Covid Pandemic, it was the single use plastic items which played an important role, need not to say that the market of Single use plastic (tumblers, bowls, plates) is worth Rs.2,25,000 Crores in India, with thousands of manufacturers and millions of wholesalers and retailers throughout the country, most of them are the MSME sector units. Imposing ban on the single use plastic and making people out of business is not the solution. Before imposing the ban, we should work on the alternative of the same. It is requested that the government should standardize the Single Use Plastic in such a way that all the products must be manufactured accordingly for instance the Tumbler must be of 4 grams at least, bowl must be of 4 grams, 6-inch plate must be 5 grams in weight. Standardizing the weights will control the littering of the waste, and rag pickers can easily pick and helps in recycling of the same. When these items are being recycled then how can they be single use plastic.