Kerala - Kochi   

Directive to Union Ministries High court round-up

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Friday directed the Union Ministries of Environment and Urban Development to file an affidavit expressing their views on the issue of banning plastic carry-bags and cups with thickness of below 50 microns.

Justice Thottathil B. Radhakrishnan, while giving the directive, extended by four weeks the stay on the government order banning production, use and storage of plastic carry-bags with a thickness of below 50 microns. When the petition filed by the All Kerala Plastic Dealers Association and others came up before the judge, it was pointed out that the Union government rules had fixed the benchmark thickness at below 20 microns.

Therefore, the State government’s order banning the use of plastic carry-bags with a thickness of below 50 microns was illegal.

However, Janasakthi, a non-government organisation which was impleaded in the case, pointed out that no scientific evaluation had been done on this issue. In fact, there was no point in going into the national benchmarks stipulated for the thickness. The impact of plastics on the environment should be taken into account, it contended.

The government on Friday informed the court that the Idukki Rifle Association had set up a permanent building on the premises leased out to it. The association had been given permission only to construct ‘a butt wall’ and a shed on the premises. The association had also violated the conditions of the lease agreement by constructing a building and renting out the room.

A Vigilance inquiry had been ordered into these violations. The government would take action against the persons responsible after the Vigilance report was submitted.The information was conveyed to the court in an affidavit filed by executive engineer of the Muvattupuzha Valley Irrigation Project V.J. Francis. The affidavit was filed in response to a writ petition seeking a directive to cancel the lease agreement.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice H.L. Dattu and Justice A.K. Basheer dismissed a writ petition against the Miss Kerala beauty contest being organised in Kochi on July 11.

Rejecting the petition filed by Solidarity Youth Movement district secretary S.M. Sainudeen, the court observed that it did not find any reason to entertain the petition.

The petitioner said the beauty pageant being conducted by the Impresario Event Management would be against the dignity of women. He said under Article 51A of the Constitution, every citizen had a duty to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women.

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