SRINAGAR: Expressing concern and displeasure over the continued use of polythene in the state, Jammu and Kashmir High Court (HC) has directed the authorities to warn all those using polythene that they will face contempt case for violating court orders.
The court directed that any vehicle seized in the state carrying polythene shall not be released with immediate effect till further orders from this court.
The status reports filed by authorities from time to time in compliance to the directions of the Court indicated that the circulation of polythene in the market has not stopped despite ban, imposed by the court.
The Court said the polythene had not disappeared from the market and it appears that the shopkeepers and the stockists were neither, abiding by the law and rules nor are getting affected by the directions of this Court.
A Division Bench (DB) of the High Court, comprising Justice Mohammad Yaqoob Mir and Muzaffar Hussain Attar said the object of the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed against the use of polythene was to eradicate the menace of polythene from the State.
The court said compliance reports suggested a very horrible state of affairs and despite all measures taken by the Stale Government violations were unabated.
Justice Mir and Attar said ” We direct all the District Magistrates of all districts in the state to intensify the checking in their respective areas.”
The court directed that when polythene bags are seized from the shopkeepers or stockists their particulars shall be submitted along with the status report before the court so that they (violators) can be proceeded against for violating the court directions.
