Jaipur: Biodegradable bags, made of starch from maize, are likely to replace regular polythene bags in the state. After imposing effective ban on usage of plastic bags, government has been looking for a substitute. According to officials, biodegradable bags look to be the best available option which if swallowed, would not harm animals, too. "We are looking into alternatives that would be eco-friendly and easy on the pocket of consumers. Among few options, biodegradable bags fit best into our requirements," said an official from environment department. Bag that government is planning to introduce will be made from natural starch-based products including maize. Several field tests have found that they are sturdy and a single average size carry bag may cost Rs 0.50 to Rs1 more than the plastic bag. According to officials, these bags already are in use in some part of the country including Madhya Pradesh where plastic bags too have been banned recently. "There are producers who can supply biodegradable bags to us though none of them are based in Rajasthan. We expect once it will get in use, new players will enter in the market and eventually bring down the cost too," added the official. The bags have been certified by third-party testing agencies both in India and abroad. These bags have also been certified by Central Government's Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology (CIPET). Recently, JMC had once again initiated a massive drive to discourage use of plastic bags. An official informed, government had imposed ban on sale, manufacture and transportation of polythene carry bags on August 1, 2010. A person or shopkeeper flouting norms is liable to five years of imprisonment and Rs 1 lakh penalty. If a person is found flouting norm frequently, a fine of Rs 5,000 per day can also be imposed on him/ her. In addition to that, state government is also planning to install vending machines to dispense cloth bags as alternative for plastic carry bags. To start with, these machines would be installed at public places like vegetable markets, malls and shopping complexes. For mass manufacturing, environment department will rope in textile associations for which they have given in-principle approval.