T’puram: Excise minister M Liju has said that Bevco’s decision to withdraw its plastic bottle collection scheme was taken without consulting him.The minister had summoned Bevco managing director (MD) to explain the rationale behind the move. The meeting is understood to have taken place on Thursday.The minister is learnt to have questioned how such an important policy decision could be taken unilaterally by the MD without obtaining his approval or even informing the minister’s office. According to the minister, it is unacceptable to discontinue a scheme that has been functioning without holding discussions or consulting the govt.Under the scheme, customers paid an additional Rs 20 as a refundable deposit for plastic liquor bottles, which was returned when the empty bottle was brought back.The scheme had earlier drawn widespread complaints from employees and customers. Staff had complained that collecting and storing returned plastic bottles disrupted the functioning of liquor outlets.It is learnt that the excise department will hold talks with the local self-govt department to get local bodies involved in disposing of the plastic bottles collected at the Bevco outlets.
