Corruption at top pollution control body when brought to light by a premier anti-graft body like Jammu & Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (J&K ACB) is a pointer to the fact that practices and procedures adopted for “consent to operate” (CTO) certificates are hugely compromised obviously due to lack of vigil over the both the institutional and administrative functioning of J&K Pollution Control Committee from the office of it’s chairman. So merely the arrest of any scientist for accepting the bribe of Rs 5000 for giving clearance to issuance of “Consent To Operate” (CTO) certificate won’t end the wrongs being committed in the process followed for issuing “ consent to operate” certificates. Since the office of the scientist arrested for accepting the bribe for issuing “consent to operate” (CTO) certificates is situated in the building from where the office of the chairman pollution control committee is operating, an explanation should have immediately come from the office of the Chairman Pollution Control Committee and this time when no explanation has come from his office it is for the Government to call an explanation from the Chairman J&K Pollution Control Committee on this count. While people know that both J&K ACB and as well as the administrative department controlling J&K Pollution Control Committee will investigate well the bribery charges against the scientist and dig out the root causes of corruption breeding ground at the top pollution control committee , the flaws in practices and procedures leading to unprecedented delays in the issuance of “ consent to operate” certificates to industrial and non industrial units become the causes of corruption but are yet to attract the attention of the office of the Administrative Secretary Forest, Ecology & Environment department.
“As lack of technical staff and infrastructural facilities at district offices bring under huge stress the testing labs at Srinagar and Jammu , the cases coming for clearance of “ Consent To Operate” Certificates from districts are taken up for disposal on rotational basis and consequently the unprecedented delays caused in the process force the industrial and non industrial unit holders to offer huge bribes to scientists through their conduits for getting “Consent To Operate” certificates in short time. Now it is for the Government to take final call on establishing air and water labs at district offices and deploy required technical staff also to reduce the increasing stress on central offices in Srinagar and Jammu with the purposes of reducing the trends of bribery being followed for getting “ Consent To Operate” certificates in short time at the J&K Pollution Committee. “
While air and water testing labs are available only at Srinagar and Jammu , Such testing labs are yet to be established at district offices of the J&K Pollution Control Committee presently run just by one district officer and a couple of office assistants. As lack of technical staff and infrastructural facilities at district offices bring under huge stress the testing labs at Srinagar and Jammu , the cases coming for clearance of “ Consent To Operate” Certificates from districts are taken up for disposal on rotational basis and consequently the unprecedented delays caused in the process force the industrial and non industrial unit holders to offer huge bribes to scientists through their conduits for getting “Consent To Operate” certificates in short time. Now it is for the Government to take final call on establishing air and water labs at district offices and deploy required technical staff also to reduce the increasing stress on central offices in Srinagar and Jammu with the purposes of reducing the trends of bribery being followed for getting “ Consent To Operate” certificates in short time at the J&K Pollution Committee.
