The PET Containers Manufacturers Association (PCMA) has alleged that a case filed by NGO Him Jagriti Uttaranchal Welfare Society with the National Green Tribunal was at the behest of the glass industry.
The NGO has been mooting a ban on the use of PET bottles to package medicines.
An affidavit submitted by PCMA President Biswajit Ghosh alleges that Him Jagriti had “intentionally suppressed the fact that its president is a consultant to the glass manufacturing industry”.
“It has been thus the pleaded case of this respondent, as well as by several other respondents/interveners, that the applicant has been put up by the glass industry to pursue this litigation, which they have been doing for the past few years,” it adds.
The affidavit, a copy of which is with BusinessLine , also states: “Thus, the present proceedings are not bona fide proceedings and are not based on environmental concerns but on the commercial concerns of the glass industry.”
“PCMA has now become aware of emails exchanged between various NGOs including the applicant (Him Jagriti) and senior officials of Hindustan National Glass and Industries Ltd, the largest container glass manufacturing company in India with a market share of almost 70 per cent.
“It is a matter of record that the single biggest challenge facing Hindustan National Glass in the marketplace is the growing popularity and use of PET in respect of widespread customer preference for a variety of products,” the affidavit further alleges.
Copies of emails The affidavit, which is accompanied by copies of trail emails dated May 15, 2015 and subsequent emails dated May 15-May 21, says: “This petition has been filed at the behest of Hindustan National Glass for their private commercial interest only.”
“An email dated May 14, 2015 from Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group shows the representatives of Him Jagriti as being Ritwick Dutta, advocate, Alok Taparia and Tanmay Kar. Taparia is Assistant Vice-President, Strategy and Management Cell at Hindustan National Glass, and Kar is the Senior Manager-Legal,” the affidavit alleges.
Submitted on October 6, the affidavit tells the Tribunal that the stated facts “warrant dismissal of the present proceedings…as such abuse of the process of law ought not to be countenanced.”
The next hearing of the case is scheduled for October 27.