Non enforcement of trading licenses norms cost JHADC’s exchequer dear

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMarch 6, 2022

There is a major contradiction in the numbers of coke plants in Sutnga Village, East Jaintia Hills District as per Right to Information (RTI)’s reply from two channels.

According to a RTI reply from the JHADC, there are 42 (Forty Two) numbers of NOCs that have been cleared by the JHADC to the Coke Plants in East Jaintia Hills while the MSPCB maintained that there are 50 (Fifty) numbers of the Coke plants.

The RTI’s reply from JHADC revealed non implementation or enforcement of trading licenses norms by the Council indicating leniency at the cost of the Council’s exchequer.

The discrepancy in the numbers of coke plants is a perhap an indication that some of the factories are set up without the trading licenses from the JHADC, as per RTI’s reply from the Council.

And if it is so then the erring Coke Plants have violated the requirements of the prerequisite documents to obtain SWA and also to get clearance from other departments concerned as well as exposing the very fact that the establishment of the Coke Plants is without proper scrutinisation of the documents.

As per the No Objection Certificate(s) for setting up of coke factories in East Jaintia Hills under the terms and conditions of the NOC the Company should obtain temporary clearance certificates/trading license from the licensing Officer, JHADC.

The issuance of the Temporary Clearance Certificate has been stopped since the year 2016 as per the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District (trading by Non-Tribal) Rule 2015.

JHADC perhaps issued the NOC’s blindly to the coke plants and put conditions therein which is only on paper and not applicable at all.

The company and all its employees shall have to pay profession tax to the District Council as required under the Rules in force.

However, as per the reply to RTI sought, it was found that only these 8 (Eight) numbers of the Coke Plants have paid the professional tax but with regard to the professional tax paid by the employees the reply is Nil.

GST TIN No. must be submitted to the concerned office of the JHADC where the reply to the query is NIL.

The Environment Registration fees of 5% of the coke plant shall be deposited on monthly return. However, as per the RTI reply, till date the amount on that regards is nil.

The company is required to submit the monthly return every month to the JHADC for record for which the reply is NIL.

Regular monitoring as to the observance of the terms and conditions laid is be done jointly by the representative of the company and JHADC and their report should be submitted to the Executive committee and the KHADC on half yearly basis however there is no regular monitoring.

The condition states that the NOC is valid for a period of 1(one) year only w.e.f the date of issued subject to renewal and fulfillment of the terms and conditions prescribed in this behalf and the reply to the RTI is that the all the 42 (Forty Two) NOCs issued have become invalid without renewal till date.

In the case of violation of any of any term and condition the No Objection Certificate shall automatically stand cancelled however in spite of the violation there is no action of cancellation of the NOC.

Meanwhile, RTI’s reply from MSPCB, the number of coke plants in EJHD have been increase to 50 (Fifty) in spite of the people protesting against their establishment during the last one year.

The number of coke plants in EJHD that have been granted with CTE is 2 (two) and CTO is 12 (twelve) out of which 5 (five) are operating without valid CTOs.

Out of 50 (Fifty) Units who have applied for CTE before the MSPCB, 29 (Twenty Nine) units have already been declared “Refusal of Consent” on the grounds of initiating establishment of the project without prior consent from the board, does not meet the citing norms as notified by the Board among others.