A plastic-free Margao. That's what the Margao Civic body has set out late last year by banning sale of plastic bags in the Commercial capital. Sadly, after repeated failed deadlines, the ban has now been confined to the Civic record books, thanks to the change of guard in the Civic body and the lack of enthusiasm by the Civic babus. It was with great fanfare that then Chief Officer, N D Agrawal ably supported by the Chairperson, Johnson Fernandes announced a ban on the sale of plastic bags across the city from Goa Liberation Day on December 19. Agrawal and Fernandes even went to the town warning business establishments of seizure of plastic bags for any violations. But, the Civic body found the going tough to immediately implement the ban in the city dubbed as the state's commercial capital in the absence of any alternative bags. This forced the Civic body to postpone the ban on sale of plastic to Republic day on January 26 last, which again failed to take off due to obvious reasons. The new market traders and other business owners questioned the civic body as to who would compensate the trading community for the printed plastic bags purchased in bulk and which was lying in their go downs. Says the President of New Market Traders Association: "We were willing to co-operate with the ban on plastic bags. And, we had asked them to allow them time to first dispose off the plastic stock or compensate them in lieu of the sudden ban'. Incidentally, Agrawal did find force in the arguments of the traders and accordingly set out a procedure, wherein the Municipal inspectors would stamp the plastic bags and return back to the traders, who were allowed to use the plastic bags till the stocks last. But, before the system could be put in place, Agrawal was shunted out of office, with his successor, Y B Tawde grappling with other pressing civic issues, leaving the grandiose plan to make the Margao a plastic-free city behind. A market inspection admitted that the drive to make the city plastic free has been pushed to the background in the new set up. MMC Chairperson, Johnson Fernandes was frank enough to admit that the proposal to ban sale of plastic has hit a big block after the exit of then Chief Officer, N D Agrawal. And, he could not say whether the Civic body has any plans to revive the proposal and make Margao plastic free.