Anti-plastic drive: GMC team attacked, 2 booked

Ghaziabad: Two persons were booked on Friday after a Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation (GMC) team, which had gone to the Sabzi Mandi area to carry out an anti-polythene drive, was attacked by local vendors on Friday afternoon, which left one official injured.
The GMC lodged an FIR against the two accused for voluntarily causing hurt and using criminal force to deter a public servant from the discharge of his duty.
“A team of the GMC enforcement wing on Friday afternoon had gone for an anti-polythene drive in Sabzi Mandi in the Nehru Nagar area. During the raid, an altercation ensued between the vendors and officials," municipal commissioner Vikramaditya Singh Malik said.
Malik said while the GMC team was trying to talk to them, somebody from behind hurled brickbats, in which a guard accompanying the team was hit on his head.
“The drive was called off and an FIR was lodged against two protesters who had injured the guard. The guard, who was rushed to the hospital, is out of danger," Malik said. Meanwhile, mayor Sunita Dayal said that attacks on public servants will not be tolerated. "There is a law on the use of plastic and it should be followed in right earnest. Friday's incident, in which the GMC team was attacked, is very unfortunate and this will not be tolerated,” Dayal said.
ACP (City 2) Ravi Kumar Singh said, “An FIR under IPC sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from the discharge of his duty) has been lodged in the Sihani Gate police station against two accused who have been identified as Atul (25) and Tarun (30).”
Raids on after UP bans polyethene
In 2016, UP govt banned the use of polyethene and since then, the GMC has been regularly carrying out raids. Last year, the GMC penalised violators found using, selling, manufacturing or stocking single-use plastic items and collected Rs 60 lakh in fines.