Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Gujarat will phase out the use of plastic folders and files across government offices, with the state government directing departments and institutions to switch to file covers made from paper, jute and cloth as part of efforts to reduce plastic use in official administration.
The General Administration Department (GAD) has issued a circular providing for the gradual discontinuation of plastic folders and files in government offices across the state. The measure will cover offices ranging from the Secretariat to local self-government institutions and government universities.
The decision applies to all departments of the Secretariat, offices of heads of departments, public sector undertakings, corporations, boards, autonomous institutions, local selfgovernment bodies, government universities and institutions receiving grant-in-aid.
Under the new guidelines, plastic folders and files used in day-to-day official work will gradually be replaced with environmentally friendly and durable covers made from paper, jute or cloth.
The government has linked the measure to efforts to reduce the use of single-use plastic that can harm the environment, citing the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.
Offices can continue using their existing stock of plastic stationery until it is exhausted. However, all new purchases thereafter will have to comply with the environmental guidelines.
