Lok Sabha Secretariat bans plastic items in Parliament with immediate effect

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha Secretariat said it has banned the use of non-reusable plastic water bottles and other plastic items within the Parliament complex with effect from Tuesday.

All officers and staff of the Secretariat and other allied agencies working in the Parliament House Complex have been asked to comply with the directions, the secretariat said in a statement.

They have also been advised to use environment friendly biodegradable bags and other material, it added.

"This initiative by the Lok Sabha Secretariat is a step towards the call by the Prime Minister to the nation to make the country free from plastics," it said.

In his Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to abandon the use of single-use plastic and take significant steps to achieve this objective by October 2, when the country celebrates the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.