MARGAO
The Aam Aadmi Party Goa has strongly opposed the Deposit Refund Scheme (DRS), calling it ill-planned, anti-consumer and anti-small business.
AAP demanded that the Goa government immediately halt the implementation of DRS, hold transparent consultations with traders, consumers and manufacturers, and stop imposing schemes that hurt local livelihoods in the name of reform.
Addressing the media, AAP Goa President Valmiki Naik, Organisational Secretary Prashant Naik and Vice President Roque Mascarenhas said the scheme will create hardship for Goans while benefitting only a private system administrator.
AAP leaders pointed out that Goa is the only State being forced into this scheme, raising serious concerns. Consumers buying products in Goa to carry to other states may lose their deposit entirely, which will discourage shopping from local stores and hurt small traders, they added.
AAP Goa President Valmiki Naik said the DRS does not stand for Deposit Refund Scheme, it stands for Deposit Refund Scam. “If the QR code on a bottle or package is damaged even slightly, the customer loses the deposit. There is no clarity on refunds for people who do not use UPI. Almost 90 per cent of packaging used currently is non-biodegradable which will lead to increase retail cost of day-to-day products. Every family’s Rs 2,000-3,000 will be locked every month because of this scheme.
Over the cost burden people will have to stand in line to deposit the packages, and there is no clarity of how many collection centres will be present. So how long you will have to travel to deposit is also absolutely not clear”.
Organisational Secretary Prashant Naik highlighted the pressure on shopkeepers, and the scheme benefits only one entity “This scheme will have serious implication on Goa’s economy which largely dependent on tourist, increase in the retail prices will lead to major losses to the shopkeepers. The only real beneficiary of DRS is the system administrator, who earns money from QR stickers and also gains control over recycled material. Why is the government bringing this scheme without consulting any stakeholders and public.”
