Joint venture fees from industrial units not recovered by MPCB: audit report
15 Aug, 2013
The audit of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), conducted by the Auditor General of the state, has shown that the environmental body is yet to recover the outstanding joint venture (JV) fees from the industries.
The audit report, obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act, has revealed that the Pune regional office of MPCB has failed to recover joint venture fees worth Rs 62.30 lakh which are pending since 2008.
The report shows that sub-regional office (SRO)-I has to recover Rs. 12 lakh, SRO-II has to recover Rs. 24 lakh, SRO Pimpri Chinchwad has to recover Rs. 8 lakh, SRO Satara has to recover Rs. 5 lakh and SRO Solapur has to recover Rs. 12 lakh as pending fees of the joint venture sampling at industrial units.
JV samples are conducted by MPCB field officers along with representatives from the industries. Water and air samples are tested in MPCB laboratories and reports are sent to the industries. If the discharge levels are found to be exceeding the prescribed limit, MPCB initiates action against the industries. JV fees are fees levied by the MPCB for drawing the samples and testing them.