Solan: Poll code no bar, pollution board to start process to approve units

Tribune News Service

Ambika Sharma

Solan, May 3

Nearly 2,500 industrial and tourism units, including 200 new units, can now be issued consent to establish and operate, as the Election Commission (EC) today stated that it had no objection in the matter from the point of view of the model code of conduct.

The process of issuing permissions was halted after the model code of conduct was enforced on March 12, following the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections. However, a majority of the permissions had already been pending for months and the enforcement of the model code added to the delay.

Process halted due to poll code

• The process of issuing permissions was halted after the model code of conduct was enforced on March 12, following the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections
• A majority of the permissions were pending for months and the enforcement of the model code of conduct in March further delayed them
• The state government had earlier moved a proposal before the EC on March 18 to grant the permissions to the units
• The industrial units awaiting authorisation for scientifically disposing hazardous waste under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act (EPA), 1986, have also been relieved by the order
• An official of the SPCB said a request was made before the Election Commission in March to grant permission to units as it would unduly delay their operation for months
• Investors who had availed loans to set up new industrial and tourism units had been demanding the permissions as a delay of more than three months would cost them dear

The industrial units awaiting authorisation for scientifically disposing hazardous waste under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act (EPA), 1986, were also relieved by the order issued by the EC today.

The state government had earlier moved a proposal before the EC on March 18 to grant the permissions to the units.

The consent is a pre-requisite for an industrial and tourism unit before commencing their operation. The code of conduct had also put on hold permissions for the renewal of consent as well as grant of consent to establish. A perusal of the State Pollution Control Board’s (SPCB) website puts the total number of pending consent cases to around 2,100, including cases whose consent is pending for months. About 450 cases comprise those whose authorisation under the EPA was on hold.

Consent to establish is the primary clearance of a project under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution), Act, 1981. The consent to operate is granted after a unit installs requisite pollution mitigation devices for scientific disposal of the effluents.

While the units were being setup in various industrial clusters like Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh, which houses more than 90 per cent of the state’s industry, new hotels were also coming up in Kasauli, Manali, Kullu, Shimla, etc. An official of the SPCB said a request was made before the Election Commission in March to grant permission to these units as it would unduly delay their operation for months. “A letter has been received from the EC today which has paved the way for granting these permissions,” added the official.

Investors who had availed loans to set up new industrial and tourism units had been demanding these permissions as a delay of more than three months would cost them dear.

“Investors have availed loans worth crores and interest liability of lakhs is amassing every month whether or not the unit becomes operational,” said Rakesh, who was entrusted with the task of securing permissions for an upcoming tourism unit in Solan.

Another investor who was seeking various revenue clearances for setting up a tourism unit in Kasauli said, “No work was being executed like demarcation of land and processing of the file ever since the model code of conduct has come into force. We will have to wait till June to get the work done.”

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