news details |
|
|
| PCB has not finalized accounts beyond 1976-CAG | | | Mustansir
Srinagar, Mar 8 : The validity of consent to operate had expired in respect of 407 industrial units in the state between March 2001 and February 2013 and these were running without renewal consent in violation of the Prevention and Control of Pollution Act. Not only this the State Pollution Control Board has not finalized its accounts beyond the year 2006-07 nor has it upgraded the existing Water and Air Laboratories despite having huge funding available for the purpose. This was brought to the fore by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India in its report which was tabled in the state legislature very recently. Pertinently the J&K State Board for Prevention and Control of Pollution was constituted by the State Government in the year 1976 in pursuance of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 197. The aim was to develop all round capabilities to protect the environment by preventing and controlling pollution by effective law enforcement. However, the Board has failed in discharging its duties. The CAG report has noticed that the Board had neither prepared comprehensive plan nor had made Annual Action Plan since its inception in 1976 to serve as a guide to execute pollution control programmes. It noticed the Board's activities were largely restricted to granting/renewal of consent for operating industrial units. Even this activity was not carried out fully and properly. CAG further noticed that the poor utilization of funds by the Board resulted in steady increase in the quantum of unspent balances which accumulated to Rs. 17.77 crore as of March 2013. The unutilized amount was lying in five bank accounts of the Board. The CAG report reveals that the State Government in December 2010 directed the Board to deposit the unspent balance of consent money in excess of Rs 2 crore lying in its non-interest bearing bank accounts into government accounts in the Treasury. It was also directed that in future also the Board should not retain any amount on this account in excess of two crore. The Board had thereafter used drawals from treasury as budgeted by the government while it continued to retain unspent balances of funds raised by it. The report further said thaty the Board had utilized consent fee ranging between Rs. 26.10 lakh and 91.77 lakh unauthorizedly towards meeting the administrative expenses like travelling allowance, POL, purchase of vehicle, furniture and payment of wages etc. during the years from 2009-10 to 2012-13 despite the fact that non-plan funds allotted by the state government ranging between Rs. 12.94 lakh and Rs.3.73 crore were surrendered by the Board during the same period. This, the CAG report observed, indicated imprudent financial management of the Board. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
