Steps will be taken to ban Chinese single-use plastic lighters: Min

CHENNAI: Minister for MSMEs TM Anbarasan on Friday spoke in the State Assembly and said that steps will be taken to ban Chinese single-use plastic cigarette lighters.

Earlier in the Assembly, AIADMK said that steps should be taken to ban Chinese plastic lighters which have greatly affected the matchbox making industry in the State.

Senior AIADMK leader and Kovilpatti MLA Kadambur C Raju brought a motion to attract attention in the Assembly.

In response to this attention-grabbing resolution, Anbarasan said, "400 matchbox factories are functioning in the State and the annual sales amount for matchboxes is up to 50 million US dollars. 5 lakh workers are directly or indirectly engaged in this industry in Virudhunagar and surrounding districts. Plastic lighters have affected the matchbox industry. As these single-use plastic cigarette lighters come in 20-match size at a low price, it occupies 20 percent of the total. In this regard, Chief Minister MK Stalin wrote to the Union Commerce and Industry Minister last September."

He added, "Subsequently, the Secretary of Small and Medium Enterprises BB Swain also wrote a letter to the Union government. Additional orders have been issued based on the judgment given by the Gujarat High Court. The State government will take appropriate measures to ban Chinese plastic lighters that have affected the matchbox industry."

On September 9 last year, concerned over the future of matchbox making industry in Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday urged the Centre to immediately ban single-use plastic cigarette lighters and safeguard the livelihood of over a lakh people.