New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government is expected to make littering, defacement, use of banned plastic bags a minor offence, which would include monetary penalty, a newspaper report said on Thursday.

The move is being viewed as a step towards realising the Prime Minister's pet project `Swachh Bharat'. The Centre is mulling attaching legal provisions to the cleanliness drive in order to make it more effective.

The report states that the Ministry of Environment and Forests is expected to introduce an amendment in the Monsoon Session of Parliament, which would term the violations as non-cognisable crime. At present, the Environment (Protection) Act (EPA) doesn't permit the authorities to impose penalty on defaulters.

The amendment will only call for penalty and not FIR or arrest. The local civic bodies will be assigned to make the law effective.

Not only littering, but also manufacturing of banned plastic goods, electronic waste will invite monetary penalty.

PM Modi had launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan on October 02, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

While launching the cleanliness drive, the PM had urged people to fulfil Mahatma Gandhi`s vision of Clean India.

He had appealed to the people to devote 100 hours every year towards the cause of cleanliness. The Prime Minister also emphasised the importance of building toilets. He said sanitation should not be seen as a political tool, but should only be connected to patriotism (rashtrabhakti) and commitment to public health.