More than 100 hard coke factory owners have complained that the pollution control board has given them consent to operate (CTO) for one year despite many of them paying fees for five years.
B.N. Singh, president of Industries and Commerce Association, an organisation of all hard coke factory owners, on Wednesday wrote to Rajeev Lochan Bakshi, member secretary of the board, expressing dissatisfaction. Copies were also sent to chief minister Hemant Soren, chief secretary D.K. Tiwari and board chairman A.K. Rastogi.
Singh said: “While all other industries have been provided CTO for five years, only hard coke factories have been provided CTO for one year, which is discriminatory and beyond any logic.”
Ramnarayan Chaudhary, the board’s regional officer in Dhanbad, said: “Surely some shortcomings on the part of the industries might be the reason.. and the CTO will be extended after fulfilment of criteria set by the board.”
Dhanbad MP P.N. Singh on Wednesday raised in the Lok Sabha the troubles of hard coke industries due to the lack of sufficient coal supply because of Coal India scrapping the Fuel Supply Agreement.
