Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Goa government has introduced stricter regulatory measures for non-biodegradable packaging under the Deposit Refund Scheme (DRS), granting enforcement officials expanded powers to seize products and penalise manufacturers, dealers and retailers that fail to meet statutory requirements.
According to the latest amendments notified by the Department of Environment & Climate Change, violators now face significantly higher penalties— including fines up to ₹25,000, confiscation of entire product batches and criminal action in cases involving tampering with the mandatory Unique Serial Identifier (USI).
The notification, issued by Director (Environment) Sachin Desai, mandates that every DRS-covered item must carry a clear, readable and scannable USI throughout all stages of movement in the market — from manufacturing and import to storage, transport, distribution and retail sale.
In a substantial escalation of enforcement powers, officials are now authorised to enter and inspect warehouses, business premises, shops, transport points or “any other place” to verify compliance.
A key clause states that any entity found altering, removing, forging or manipulating the USI on DRS products will be liable for fines up to ₹25,000, seizure of the entire batch and potential prosecution under other relevant laws.
The amendments further clarify that products seized for lacking a proper USI may be returned only if the responsible entity corrects the deficiency within 15 days; failing this, the items may be retained for prosecution or disposed of by authorities.
Additionally, manufacturers will now be required to deposit the full refundable value of every DRS product into a designated escrow or current account identified by the Scheme Administrator, tightening financial accountability within the system.
The notification specifies that certain products — including liquor bottles, milk packaging, low-value or low-volume goods and items manufactured by micro-enterprises — remain exempt from the DRS framework. The revised rules take immediate effect following their publication in the Official Gazette.
