Baddi firm handed fake fire NOC

Ambika Sharma

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Solan, February 24

A fake no-objection certificate (NOC), issued by the Chief Fire Officer, was detected by a Baddi-based industrial unit today, weeks after a slew of fake consent to operate (COP) certificates, issued in the name of the state pollution control board, came to the fore. The NOCs were provided by the same consultancy firm which had provided the COPs to US Industries at Theda village in Baddi.

In a complaint to the Manpura police, the staff of the US Industries has stated that they had hired a consultant, Akash Kumar Shrivastav, proprietor of AK Associates, to obtain an NOC from the HP State Pollution Control Board (HPSPCB).

The firm received a NOC from the CFO, dated March 27, 2021. As per the certificate, the premises were inspected on March 25, 2021. The NOC was renewed for two years from April 1, 2021, to April 30, 2023. The fake NOC also laid down four conditions, imitating the original NOC.

Shiv Kumar, Commandant, Home Guards, which looks after the Fire Department, said information about a fake NOC was received today. The station fire officer at Baddi has been directed to enquire about the certificate’s authenticity, following which further action would be initiated.

Baddi DSP Navdeep Singh said Akash Shrivastav of Sidharthnagar in UP, who was operating AK Associates at Baddi, was interrogated for a fake NOC case registered in January.