Daily News Analysis » February 2024 » Public Accounts Committee Findings on Plastic Waste Management by Ministry of Environment: 22 Feb, 2024

Public Accounts Committee Findings on Plastic Waste Management by Ministry of Environment: 22 Feb, 2024

Key Findings:

  • Recognizes the Ministry’s initiatives since May 2021 but calls for more robust measures to mitigate plastic pollution hazards.
  • Plastic waste generation in India rose almost three times  from 2015-16 to 2020-21.
  • Half of the plastic waste (34.7 lakh TPA) was not recycled in 2019-20, contributing to pollution and health risks.
  • Noted significant data discrepancies and lack of validation in the plastic waste information reported by State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).
  • Emphasized the necessity of identifying cost-effective and reliable alternatives to plastic to facilitate its reduction.

Public Accounts Committee (PAC)

  • Establishment: Established in 1921 following the Montford Reforms under the Government of India Act, 1919.
  • Annual Constitution: Constituted annually as per Rule 308 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Lok Sabha.
  • Chairman Appointment: The Speaker of the Lok Sabha appoints the Chairman of the PAC.
  • Functions as an advisory body without executive powers.
  • Members: Includes 22 members, with 15 elected by the Lok Sabha Speaker and 7 by the Rajya Sabha Chairman, serving a one-year term. It bars any Minister from being a member to maintain impartial scrutiny of government spending
  • Purpose and Function: Ensures that the government expenditure is within the approved scope of demand, scrutinizing the utilization of funds granted by Parliament.

 

Why in News:

  • Recently, a parliamentary panel has highlighted the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) inadequate efforts in managing plastic waste.