"Expert committee formed to study pros & cons of tetra packs," admits TASMAC before MHC
The bench also observed that depending upon the report of the committee, it will be open for the aggrieved person to take up appropriate proceedings
CHENNAI: The TASMAC has submitted before the Madras High Court (MHC) that it constituted an expert committee to study the pros and cons of the use of tetra packs and the introduction of a bottle buyback scheme.
The first division bench of the Madras High Court comprising Chief Justice SV Gangapurwala and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy disposed of the petition after TASMAC's submission.
The bench also observed that depending upon the report of the committee, it will be open for the aggrieved person to take up appropriate proceedings.
A petitioner, S Prathab from Chennai, moved the MHC seeking to restrain TASMAC from issuing orders enabling liquor manufacturers to use the tetra pack for packing and selling Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL).
The counsel, K Sathish Kumar, appeared for TASMAC and submitted that an expert committee has been constituted to study the pros and cons of the use of tetra packs and also for the introduction of the scheme of buying back bottles throughout the State.
As far as the use of tetra packs is concerned, the committee is yet to submit the report, the counsel added.
The petitioner contended that the Minister for Prohibition and Excise Department S Muthusamy has said that TASMAC is considering selling the IMFL in tetra pack cartons.
A typical Tetra Pack carton is made up of 5 layers with polyethylene, paperboard, polyethylene, aluminum foil, and polyethylene which will lead to the deterioration of the environment, forest, shores, and wildlife, the petitioner contended.
The existing tetra pack recycling stations are struggling to recycle the used tetra packs, if TASMAC sells liquor in tetra packs instead of bottles, it will be a huge struggle for the recycle station. If tetra packs are allowed then there would be at least a minimum of 3,36,00,00,000 used tetra pack cartons, which will lead to huge dumps of used tetra packs, posing a huge threat to the environment and ecology, said the petitioner.