Kochi: The Kerala State Pollution Control Board Officers Association has sought the intervention of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to end malpractices by Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) in selecting firms awarded for anti-pollution steps.
In a detailed representation highlighting gross violations of norms in selecting the award winners, the Association pointed out lack of transparency and systematic violation of norms. The representation was submitted even as KSPCB is set to announce the 2017 award winners on June 3.
“We gave a representation to the Chief Minister covering 27 points to improve the functioning of the Board. It also covers the need for streamlining the selection process for award,” said MP Thrideep Kumar, president of the Association.
In 2016, KSPCB presented 139 awards in various categories spending Rs 59 lakh from the government exchequer even as green activists cried foul over the criteria used for determining the winners.
“The people are unaware of the criteria used for selecting the award winners. Companies facing serious allegations for polluting Periyar River are being selected for the award,” says a Jaison Panikkulangara an activist in Kochi.
A company like Nitta Gelatin, which the NGT has described as an habitual polluter has also been getting excellence awards, he pointed out.
The KSPCB introduced the awards in 1989 for industries coming under the three broad categories named large, medium and small. The system operated without much problem in the first 10 years. But since 2009 it has gone awry with large number of new categories being introduced, says the representation to the CM. According to norms the KSPCB officers at district level must recommend applications for awards. But for the past six years this norm has been flouted with impunity, it said.
