The decision, helmed by Shiv Sena leader and Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray and party leader and environment minister Ramdas Kadam, has met with strident criticism from MNS chief Raj Thackeray.
The state's move to ban plastic has triggered a slugfest between the Shiv Sena and rival MNS. The decision, helmed by Shiv Sena leader and Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray and party leader and environment minister Ramdas Kadam, has met with strident criticism from MNS chief Raj Thackeray.
The Sena's push for the ban was seen as an attempt to expand its agenda beyond its traditional linguistic and pro-Hindutva planks. A senior Yuva Sena functionary said that the idea was born when Aaditya and Sena office bearers met municipal officials last year to discuss the monsoon waterlogging in the city. "Then, civic officials noted that plastic was responsible for much of the mess and suggested that reasonable curbs should be imposed on its use."
After the MNS put up posters against the heavy penalties imposed for violating the ban, Kadam accused Raj of being cagey of the political rise of his nephew Aaditya, the elder son of his estranged cousin and Sena president Uddhav Thackeray.
Raj, whose party is trying to tap into resentment in stakeholders about the ban, charged that "Election funding is being sought from plastic traders. The ban will first be implemented zealously and as people forget about it in around one to two months, it will be back to square one." He added that his criticism was related to the government and not "relations".
Raj has also called upon people to refrain from paying penalties and urged the government to introduce alternatives to plastic.
Sena sources admitted that confusion about the plastic goods exempted and prohibited under the decision needs to be sorted out failing which this could have a political fallout, especially in urban areas like Mumbai and Thane, where the party controls the civic bodies.
While the government had announced the ban keeping in view the deadline of Gudi Padwa (Marathi New Year), Sena sources said, it should have worked in tandem with stakeholders to create forward and backward linkages for plastic collection, buyback and recycling.
With charges that civic field staff tasked were harassing shopkeepers and vendors under the garb of the ban, sources said it was necessary to ensure clarity as this lot of retailers is a potent political class. Officials admit that spot fining and the lack of a central repository of offenders could lead to corruption.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Aaditya Thackeray")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}