Read Time: 03 minutes

The Madras High Court has permitted the revenue authorities to remove the lock and seal put on shops for selling banned plastic items in the Ooty, Kodaikanal, Yercaud and other hill stations in Tamil Nadu after obtaining an undertaking from the shop owners that they will not sell the banned plastic items again.

A division bench of Justice V Bharathidasan and Justice N Sathish Kumar passed the order during the hearing of the pleas pertaining to the forest, wildlife, and elephant protection in the Western Ghats.

Earlier, on March 23, 2022, Court had directed the authorities to conduct a surprise inspection of the concerned shop and to lock and seal the shops immediately, if they were found selling banned plastic items including water bottles.

However, it was brought to Court's notice that pursuant to its order, surprise checks had been conducted in Ooty and the revenue authorities had closed certain shops but the closed shops belong to petty shopkeepers eking out their livelihood from the meager income from the shops.

Therefore, considering this fact, Court said, “We are inclined to permit the authorities to remove the lock and seal, after obtaining an undertaking from the shop owners that they will not sell the banned plastic items again.”

However, Court added, "After giving such undertaking, if the shop owners sell the banned plastic items again, it is open to the authorities to lock and seal the shops permanently."

The matter will be next heard on April 13, 2022.

Case Title: A batch of petitions