Pollution Board to refund around Rs 10.69 cr -Herald

Payback time for mining Cos February 12, 2013 Pollution Board to refund around Rs 10.69 cr PANJIM: Mining companies are estimated to owe the government between Rs 5,000 crore to Rs 35,000 crore, depending on who estimates the illegalities. But irrespective of this, the government is repaying seven mining companies over Rs 10 crore after, it withdrew a circular which had hiked licence fee for ‘consent to operate’. “The Board had, some years ago increased the licence fee from a paltry Rs 27,000 to to Rs 2.40 crore for ‘consent to operate’ under the Air and Water Act for extraction of up to Rs 10 mt of ore. While seven companies had paid the fee, others challenged the government’s decision to hike the fee, by filing a petition in court,” Jose Manuel Noronha, Chairman of the Goa State Pollution Control Board said. “During the hearing, the government submitted to the court that they were withdrawing the circular which had increased the fee. We have now taken a decision to return this fee,” Noronha added, justifying that since the government withdrew its circular and was coming up with a new circular the money was being reimbursed. The GSPCB will refund around Rs 10.69 crore that it had collected from seven mining companies as fees for granting ‘consent to operate’ under the Air and Water Act after a decision taken at the 106th meeting of the Board held on Monday. The new circular, as and when issued will have only prospective effect. The total money that the Board will now have to refund to these companies amounts to Rs 10.69 crore. The GSPCB, that decided to refund the money after the withdrawal of the circular also decided to refer to a sub-committee, a proposal to increase the time of renewal of consent to various categories of industries. Earlier, industries categorised as ‘red’ or hazardous industries were being given consent to operate for two years, orange industries which are not so dangerous were being given consent for three years and ‘green’ industries or clean industries were given consent for five years. However, the new proposal suggests that the time especially that of green industries be reduced to two years. “A sub-committee has been asked to study this increase,” Noronha said adding that the committee consists of the Chairman, Goa State Industries Association, a member of the GSPCB and the director of industries. In another decision, the Board has decided to give ‘consent to operate’ to Procter and Gamble Hygiene and Health Care unit at Kundaim and Himachal Futuristics unit at Verna. http://www.oheraldo.in/News/Main%20Page%20News/Payback-time-for-mining-Cos/70618.html