Relief for leather industry as HC allows trial run

Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, December 22

A Double Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday allowed the trial run of the leather industrial units which were lying shut since October 29, 2019.

Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori on Monday had filed an affidavit in the Punjab and Haryana High Court being as the Chairman of the Punjab Effluent Treatment Society for Tanneries (PETS) that an RCC mixing-cum-dilution tank had been constructed in the leather complex at a cost of Rs 1.45 crore.

Disclosing more information, the Deputy Commissioner said the Punjab and Haryana High Court had ordered PETS to file a compliance report about the dilution tank on January 6, 2020.

The DC said since he joined as the Deputy Commissioner on June 16, he held multiple meetings of the PETS and listened to officials from the PPCB and industrialists.

He said that following which he took up the matter with high-ups and the construction of the RCC mixing-cum-dilution tank was initiated and a compliance report was filed in the High Court on October 29, 2020.

He said he filed the affidavit in the court yesterday and today, the Double Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court allowed the trial run of the leather industry.

Meanwhile, KC Dogra of the Punjab Effluent Treatment Society has said January 19 has been fixed as the next date of hearing.

With the High Court’s order, representatives from the leather industry thanked the Deputy Commissioner for his concerted efforts in pursuing the case and filing the affidavit.

They said the order had given much-needed relief to them and their workers as the units were lying shut for the last one year. Besides, labourers were facing hardships in the absence of any employment they added.

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