Industries reluctantly seek green nod on the last day

GURGAON: While the industries were not so happy about the pollution control board’s new move to make consent-application grant online and more convenient, the board official on Friday said that all the industries in the region have applied for the consent.
Interestingly, only 54 industries out of total 685 had applied for the annual consent-to-operate till Thursday, a day before last date. A senior department official, however, claimed that board officials managed to get all remaining industries file the consent on Friday, which was the last day to file the application.

According to the new policy of the board, industry owners can now submit applications for their annual consent-to-operate certificates on the department’s official website. Under the new rules, those failing to meet deadlines might now be charged a penalty of 50-100% extra on the original consent fee, which ranges from Rs 25,000 to Rs 1,50,000 annually.
The industries, however, have been demanding revision of new move as it comes with a caveat of heavy penalty slabs for defaulters. “We had requested the Haryana State Pollution Control Board to withdraw the penalty provision for late submission of applications. At times, lack of appropriate awareness leads to delay in some cases, and this needs to be addressed,” said an industry representative.

The state government made the provision that there was no need of No Objection Certificate for the green industrial units, but they must take pollution control measures and inform the administration. The six categories which still needed the Board’s consent include – assembly of acid led battery, polythene and plastic processed products manufacturing, poultry, hatchery and piggery, printing press, ready mix concrete plants and mineralized water and carbonated bottling plants. However, the exempt categories will have to install pollution control devices and in case of non-compliance of these instructions, action would be taken against them as per law.

Source : - http://www.indianrealtynews.com

DLF residents at loggerheads over plot

A vacant piece of land in DLF City Phase 2 has kicked up a row over ways to put it to use. Though the plot along streets N2, N11 and N12 has been earmarked for religious purposes, one group of residents (N Block) want a park there and another (Qutab Enclave) has been pushing for a community center with a meditation hall for several years.

N Block residents say they have paid a 15% preferential charge to DLF at the time of purchase for the park facing plots here. “We do not want any building here, not even a temple,” said Rajnish Sharma, an N Block resident.

Residents say they don’t want to lose a green space as the Qutab Enclave Residents Welfare Association (QERWA) has been pushing for a community centre.

“If a community centre or meditation centre comes up here, it would defeat the purpose of purchasing park-facing plots at an extra cost,” said Deepak Haldankar, a resident of N2 block. According to N Block residents, a 3,000 sqm plot was marked as a green belt in the original layout. Out of that, 1,000 sqm was separated later by a boundary wall and developed as a park. The remaining 2,000 sqm has been lying vacant and the QERWA wants to usurp it, said an N Block resident.

After a 1984 Haryana government notification, the 2,000 sqm plot was converted from a green belt to a religious space. Acting on it, the developer surrendered the site to the Huda which invited applications for construction and the QERWA bagged the invitation.

But N block residents say their park was chosen with malafide intentions. “We moved the high court but to no avail,” said Sharma. Now, he added, they have no choice but oppose construction here.

Commenting on the issue, RS Rathee, QERWA president, said, there was no question of annoying N Block residents. “There is some confusion here and we will settle it shortly. There is no dispute. We all need greenery and public utility services,” he said


Source : - http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/gurgaon/DLF-residents-at-loggerheads-over-plot/Article1-1020712.aspx