Chennai, Sep 29 (IANS) Tamil Nadu’s cloth bag campaign, launched by the previous DMK government as “Meendum Manjappai”, is set to continue under the name “Thunippai Scheme”.
The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board has begun steps to invite tenders for vending machines and cloth bags in the first phase of the renamed programme.
The proposed rollout covers 105 locations. The tender process will include installing the machines and supplying the bags needed to operate them. The move provides a way forward for the campaign after questions were raised about whether it would continue to receive funding following the change of government.
“Meendum Manjappai”, meaning “Return to the Yellow Bag”, was launched in December 2021 to encourage shoppers to carry reusable bags instead of single-use plastic ones.
Yellow cloth bags were made available through vending machines in public places, initially at Rs 10 each. Funds were allocated to install the machines and support the campaign.
The initiative was built on Tamil Nadu’s restrictions on single-use plastics. In 2019, the then AIADMK government banned several such products, including plastic carry bags. Making a reusable bag readily available was intended to help shoppers and vendors move away from disposable bags for daily purchases.
With the change in government, the future of the campaign and its funding had come under scrutiny. The decision to proceed with a cloth bag scheme indicates that distribution through vending machines will continue, although the “Manjappai” name will no longer be used for the programme.
The first phase will test how the renamed scheme is put into practice. The Pollution Control Board has initiated the process of seeking bids for machines at 105 sites and for the cloth bags to stock them. Details of the locations, the number of bags to be supplied and the timetable for installation were not specified in the information available.
For shoppers, the central feature remains access to a reusable bag at a public location.
The campaign’s wider aim is also unchanged: reducing reliance on single-use plastic bags. Its reach will depend on where the machines are placed, whether they are kept stocked and whether cloth bags remain affordable and convenient for everyday use. The planned tender marks the next administrative step. The machines will be installed after the procurement process is completed.
–IANS
aal/dpb