Goa is set to be the first state in the country to implement a deposit refund system (DRS) which will supposedly protect the environment, reduce the load on oceans, forest ecosystems and result in cleaner beaches. If anyone purchases a non- biodegradable product in the state, he/she would have to pay an additional fee of Rs 5 for say plastic bottles and aluminium cans, while Rs10 will be levied for glass bottles. The state will soon invite bidders to set up a system to implement DRS ; the bidder has to pay money upfront to the authorities and recover his money from recycling the waste collected. Goa receives almost a crore of tourists annually most of whom are here for short periods of time, who would bother to spend time, money and fuel to return beer cans, bottles or plastic packaging to claim the meagre deposit. The government would be getting a guaranteed amount from prospective bidders but there is very little possibility of the latter making profits. This seems to be another Machiavellian scheme floated by the government to collect funds for the 2027 assembly elections.
