Entrepreneurs can heave a sigh of relief as AP Pollution Control Board is all set to take a final call on online applications for Consent of Establishment and Consent for Operation to make it “time-bound”.
Sources reveal that the decision will come into force from March 2013, following which the completion of the entire process will take only 10-12 days. The decision, when implemented, will eliminate a major processing delay that the industries have been having a grouse about.
Officials reveal that all correspondence between the APPCB and the applicants, from the time the applications were made through various stages of correspondence, will be available online for both parties to see.
APPCB officials, at every stage, will be answerable for all documents and information they seek and object to in the case of CFE and CFO applications.
All records pertaining to the communications and disposal of each and every application would be available for a period of 10 years for easy reference.
The APPCB has already kicked off the Online Consent Management both for Establishment and Operation while the entire procedure of Computerisation of Data will be completed by March next year.
M/s. National Informatics Centre has developed a web application, XGN (Extended Green Node) for the APPCB in order to streamline flow of information, consistency of data, quick and easy access to data at all levels.
"Data Entry of about 11000 industrial units including hospital and hotels falling under the jurisdiction of the APPCB will be completed by March 2013," said an official.
XGN, currently being implemented in Gujarat Pollution Control Board, is under implementation by five other State Pollution Control Boards in India.
The APPCB will follow the same procedure for Consent Management including Online CFO and CFE application processing, Water Cess Management, Complaint Cell including Task Force and Public Complaint Monitoring, Analysis Reports from Laboratory, Management of Bio-Medical Waste, Plastic Waste, Municipal Solid Waste, Hazardous Waste and Legal Cases Management.
The entire process from forwarding of CFE and 1st CFO application from Industries Department via Single Window System (SWS) to respective Regional Office of APPCB to inspection by RO and his report would be time-bound according to officials.
This entire process which used to take anywhere between weeks to months earlier depending on the kind of industry will now be completed within a fortnight bringing a huge relief to industries.