As part of its ongoing efforts to do away with single-use plastic in Uttar Pradesh and avoid wastage of paper to protect the environment, the Yogi Adityanath government has directed all government departments not to use plastic water bottles in meetings and also use soft copies, respectively.

The message has been conveyed to the government departments on behalf of Chief Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra. Officials have also been clearly directed to ensure strict compliance with the government’s instructions in this regard with immediate effect.

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In the instructions given by the chief secretary recently, it has been said that despite repeated instructions, the departments have been presenting plastic cover and single-sided printed booklets and that misuse of paper and use of plastic is not appropriate considering its adverse impact on the environment. It directs officials to show sensitivity towards environment and climate change, as it is their moral and official responsibility.

The instructions given to the government offices are as follows:

• Maximum soft copy should be used by all the government officers and departmental heads.
• Use of physical (hard) copy should be minimized and whenever there is a need to print, double sided printing should be done.
• Plastic cover and spiral binding should never be used.
• All the files should be sent through e-office only. If it is unavoidable to send physical files, they should be printed on both sides of the paper.
• Never use plastic bottles for water in meetings.