Bhatkal: In view of the latest plastic ban in the city, a meeting was held at the DC office between the  government officers and office bearers of Merchants Association on Thursday. 

Assistant Commissioner Chidanand Watare informed that any individual, proprietor,  merchant, trader, supplier or retailer must not indulge in dispensing of any type of plastic carry bag, plastic poster, sticker, flex, flags, utensils, spoons and materials made of thermocol and plastic microbeads.

However, plastic meant for export, packaging plastics, nursery bags and sheets, plastic for packing milk and milk products are exempted from the ban.He instructed the panchayat officials to educate the masses about the harmful effects of plastic and create awareness among the students.

Some traders voiced their opinion that the government should ban the factories manufacturing plastics rather than imposing it on public.

Taluk panchayat officer C T Naik, municipality chief officer Ramesh,president of Bhatkal Merchants Association Venkatesh Prabhu, Rajesh Naik, general secretary of Majlis-Islah-wa-Tanzeem Muhiyuddin Altaf Kharuri, Inayatullah Shabandri, principal of Shree Guru Sudhindra Veerendra Shanbhag and others were present in the meeting.