GANGTOK, 31 AUG: The State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) has increased the consent fee levied on business houses and industrial units in the state. According to an official notification issued by the SPCB, the revised fee would be based on the level of investment made by each enterprise and its potential of causing air, water and noise pollution.
The consent is required by all business and industrial houses to operate. It has to be renewed annually. As per the revised rates, the slab for the consent fee to be paid would be based on the gross fixed capital investment of the unit without depreciation. On the baseline, industrial and business units with investments upto Rs1 lakh would have to pay Rs 500 whereas, business units with investment of Rs One thousand crore and above would have to pay Rs 5 lakh as annual consent fee to the SPCB.
Meanwhile, the SPCB has issued fresh rates for hydroelectric power projects operational in the state. Mini Hydel projects with installed capacities of less than 50 Megawatts would be charged Rs1 lakh annually, while major projects producing over 500 Megawatts of power would be levied Rs 10 lakh. Pharmaceutical and Ferro alloys units would be charged under a separate category of consent fee. Companies with investments upto Rs 1 crore would have to pay Rs 20,000 while units in the same category with investments of over Rs 50 crore would be charged Rs1.5 lakh.
Although the slab system was effective earlier, the minimum consent fee paid by industrial units and business houses was Rs 500 while the highest consent fee levied from business units was Rs10, 000. The revised rates would be applicable immediately, informs the notification issued by Mr ST Lachungpa, principal chief conservator of the state forest, environment and wildlife management department.
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