Members of the Goa Women’s Forum (GWF) on Friday held an aware ness protest against the proposed Deposit Refund Scheme (DRS) outside the Old Collectorate Building, opposite the Post Office in Margao. The demonstra tion, held from 10.30 am to 12 pm, was followed by the submission of a fresh mem orandum to the authorities. The forum stated that it is “totally opposed to the im plementation of the Depos it Refund Scheme (DRS)” which, according to it, seeks to burden consumers with a deposit on every pack aged item purchased in glass, rigid plastic or cans. Addressing the gather ing, GWF convenor Lorna Fernandes said the deposit amount under the scheme would range from Rs 2 to Rs 10 over and above the Max imum Retail Price (MRP), and would be refunded only after consumers de posit the packaging bearing a QR code at a DRS collec tion point machine. “Although DRS was no tified in 2024, no stake holder meetings were held at the District or Taluka level since then, and now the scheme is sought to be rolled out from April 1, 2026,” Fernandes said, echoing points raised in the memorandum. She further stated that, based on information gathered by the forum’s volunteers, neither elect ed panchayat members nor members of Garbage Management Committees (GMCs) and Village De velopment Committees (VDCs) in Salcete Taluka had been informed about the DRS or given an oppor tunity to provide feedback. She added that a similar sit uation existed among elect ed members of municipal councils in Salcete. Fernandes also cited the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and the Legal Metrol ogy (Packaged Commod ities) Rules, 2011, stating that the rights of consum ers under these laws would be violated if any amount is charged over and above the printed MRP through stick ers or QR-coded labels in the name of DRS. The forum warned that it would take steps to pro tect consumers in Salcete Taluka against any retailer, wholesaler, distributor or manufacturer who charges amounts beyond the MRP under the scheme. In its memorandum, the Goa Women’s Forum de manded that the DRS be scrapped forthwith. It also called for strict enforce ment of the ban on sin gle-use plastic (SUP) items, action against those selling plastic bags below 40 mi crons, the setting up of a Taluka Enforcement Squad under the Goa Non-Biode gradable Garbage (Control) Act, 1996, and that the mat ter be placed on the agenda of the forthcoming District Consumer Protection Coun cil meeting. The memorandum was submitted to the Assistant Director (Salcete Taluka), Department of Civil Sup plies and Consumer Affairs, and copies were marked to other concerned authori ties
Goa Women’s Forum protests proposed Deposit Refund Scheme
