Govt to start drive against rice imported in plastic bags

The textiles and jute ministry has asked the authorities concerned, including divisional commissioners and district administrations, to conduct mobile courts against plastic bag users, as the government has no plans to extend the deadline allowing the use of plastic bags for imported rice. Commerce minister Tofail Ahmed, on September 19 last year, suspended for three months the government decision to make jute sacks mandatory for rice imports.

“The authorities concerned will launch a special drive again to ensure the mandatory use of jute bags, as the time frame for use of plastic bags for imported rice ended on December 31,” textiles and jute ministry secretary Faizur Rahman Chowdhury told The Independent yesterday.

The ministry had allowed three months for the use of plastic bags for imported rice following requests from importers, but the extension expired on December 31, the secretary said.

He added that the expiry of the deadline “automatically restored the mandatory jute bag use. So, the divisional commissioners and district administrations will now conduct mobile courts against plastic bag users.”

The importers had requested the government to allow rice import packed in plastic bags from Vietnam, Thailand and India, Chowdhury said. But the government had allowed only two countries—Thailand and Vietnam, he added.

“We didn’t allow importers to import rice packed in plastic bags from India. Vietnam and Thailand don’t produce jute bags—but India produces gunny bags. Considering the reality, the government allowed only two countries sans India,” the textiles and jute secretary said in reply to a query.

When asked about the Directorate General of Food’s proposal to allow the use of plastic bags for imported rice for another six months, textiles and jute secretary Chowdhury said, “The ministry will discuss the matter after getting their proposal. First, they have to place their proposal before the ministry.”

Earlier, the director general of the Directorate General of Food, Badrul Hasan, had told this correspondent that the government should persist with its decision to allow the use of plastic bags for imported rice for another six months.

The Jatiya Sangsad, in 2010, had passed a law

making it mandatory to use jute bags instead of the plastic variety to save the environment. According to the textiles and jute secretary, the main objective was to ensure that everyone used jute bags instead of the plastic ones, failing which both fines and jail sentences could be imposed.

The government would not tolerate any violation of the Act to ensure survival of the jute sector as well as the livelihood of jute-growers in the country, he said, adding that the special drive, including mobile courts, would be conducted across the country at the divisional, district, upazila and ‘thana’ levels. Chowdhury has also said that the law

enforcement agencies and the department concerned would strictly implement the ‘Mandatory Use of Jute Goods Packages Act, 2010’.

The government first issued an order directing the use of jute bags on a mandatory basis on December 1, 2015, for six products—paddy, rice, wheat, corn, fertilisers, and sugar.

On January 24, 2017, the government made the use of jute bags mandatory for packaging in the case of 11 more commodities—onions, ginger, garlic, pulses, potatoes, flour, chili, turmeric, coriander seeds and husk of rice and wheat. The use of jute bags is now compulsory in the preservation and transportation of 20kg or more of 17 commodities in the country.

 

Govt to start drive against rice imported in plastic bags

The textiles and jute ministry has asked the authorities concerned, including divisional commissioners and district administrations, to conduct mobile courts against plastic bag users, as the government has no plans to extend the deadline allowing the use of plastic bags for imported rice. Commerce minister Tofail Ahmed, on September 19 last year, suspended for three months the government decision to make jute sacks mandatory for rice imports. The authorities concerned will launch a special drive again to ensure the mandatory use of jute bags, as the time frame for use of plastic bags for imported rice ended on December 31, textiles and jute ministry secretary Faizur Rahman Chowdhury told The Independent yesterday. The ministry had allowed three months for the use of plastic bags for imported rice following requests from importers, but the extension expired on December 31, the secretary said. He added that the expiry of the deadline automatically restored the mandatory jute bag use. So, the divisional commissioners and district administrations will now conduct mobile courts against plastic bag users. The importers had requested the government to allow rice import packed in plastic bags from Vietnam, Thailand and India, Chowdhury said. But the government had allowed only two countriesThailand and Vietnam, he added. We didnt allow importers to import rice packed in plastic bags from India. Vietnam and Thailand dont produce jute bagsbut India produces gunny bags. Considering the reality, the government allowed only two countries sans India, the textiles and jute secretary said in reply to a query. When asked about the Directorate General of Foods proposal to allow the use of plastic bags for imported rice for another six months, textiles and jute secretary Chowdhury said, The ministry will discuss the matter after getting their proposal. First, they have to place their proposal before the ministry. Earlier, the director general of the Directorate General of Food, Badrul Hasan, had told this correspondent that the government should persist with its decision to allow the use of plastic bags for imported rice for another six months. The Jatiya Sangsad, in 2010, had passed a law making it mandatory to use jute bags instead of the plastic variety to save the environment. According to the textiles and jute secretary, the main objective was to ensure that everyone used jute bags instead of the plastic ones, failing which both fines and jail sentences could be imposed. The government would not tolerate any violation of the Act to ensure survival of the jute sector as well as the livelihood of jute-growers in the country, he said, adding that the special drive, including mobile courts, would be conducted across the country at the divisional, district, upazila and thana levels. Chowdhury has also said that the law enforcement agencies and the department concerned would strictly implement the Mandatory Use of Jute Goods Packages Act, 2010. The government first issued an order directing the use of jute bags on a mandatory basis on December 1, 2015, for six productspaddy, rice, wheat, corn, fertilisers, and sugar. On January 24, 2017, the government made the use of jute bags mandatory for packaging in the case of 11 more commoditiesonions, ginger, garlic, pulses, potatoes, flour, chili, turmeric, coriander seeds and husk of rice and wheat. The use of jute bags is now compulsory in the preservation and transportation of 20kg or more of 17 commodities in the country.