“Managing Director, SIDCO had contested this case before the APCC, stating that the company is going to install treatment facility in 64 Kanals of land”
K Koushal
Jammu & Kashmir State Industrial Development Corporation (SIDCO) has allotted ‘free of cost’ land measuring 64 kanals at IGC, Samba to a Hyderabad based private firm, causing huge loss to the government exchequer.
According to the highly placed sources privy to the development, Managing Director (MD), SIDCO has ‘Illegally’ allotted Corporation’s Land measuring 64 Kanals, free of cost, located at IGC, Samba to Private Party M/s Rama Sethu Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd, Hyderabad, causing losses of around Rs 6 crores to the government.
“SIDCO authorities have committed a big fraud by allotting government land of 64 Kanals free of cost in favor of M/s Rama Sethu Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. for malafide reasons and taking a bribe of Rs. 2 Crore from the private party,” reads the representation submitted to the Anti Corruption Bureau.
The representation alleged that the Apex Committee of the Jammu and Kashmir Government headed by Chief Secretary was reportedly kept in dark by projecting the wrong case by the Managing Director, SIDCO.
“The case was projected that land is to be allotted to the private company for making Treatment Site for Hazardous waste generated in the state,” reads representation, adding, “Whereas, in the garb of treatment site for the hazardous waste, M/S APR project and the M/s Rama Sethu Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd company kept a provision for other profitable units such as unit for lead recycling, waste oil manufacturing, plastic product manufacturing and products for the electronic base to the tune of 34000 ton per annum.”
It asserts, “All these units are profit making and are already there in the erstwhile state for which Government has taken money of Rs. 8 lakh a kanal for the allotted land, whereas in this case the land has been allotted to the company for setting profit making units free of cost, causing loss to the government exchequer for the tune of Rs 8 crore.”
Meanwhile, sources informed that the Managing Director, SIDCO had contested this case before the APCC, stating that the company is going to install a treatment facility in 64 Kanals of land whereas on the ground no such treatment facility on the 64 Kanals land exists.
“Only 10 Kanals of land is being used for treatment of hazardous waste which is also a profitable business as Rama Sethu is going to charge money for treatment from the different units in the state,” documents read, adding that the remaining 54 Kanals of land shall be used for profitable units such as recycling of lead, fuel making, e-waste recycling and products for which company has paid nothing to the government.
The sources alleged that this private company also has no environmental clearance for the project and cannot even set up a hazardous waste treatment facility, which is also in violation of the norms.
“The environmental clearance and approval of the land was given to M/S APR /RAMKEYS, six years back, which has lost its validity now. Suddenly the M/s Rama Sethu Company Private Limited has taken over the land free of cost without any prior clearance and approval,” alleged the sources, adding that the permission for the Hazardous Waste Treatment was given by Pollution Control Board in 2014 for 68 Ton waste per day, which is not even generated in Jammu and Kashmir.
The wrong statistics with regard to the generation of waste was also a manipulation by the PCB in league with the M/s Rama Sethu. “PCB had given permission for making fuel 33 ton per day, treatment of lead recycle 41 ton per day and E-waste for 55 Ton per day, which are profitable making ventures,” sources said and added that the permission was given in name of M/s APR Project Pvt. Ltd earlier which has changed to M/s Rama Sethu Company Private Limited after 6 years without the knowledge of Apex Project Clearance Committee.
Sources added that the Government of India, Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change had issued notification dated 12/04/2016 that a project which is not completed within five years shall be canceled and in this case the EC granted to APR Project has already lapsed more than 5 years.
“General Manager, SIDCO has allotted 64 kanals of land at token premium of Rs 1, subject to free cost treatment of all Bio Medical Waste coming out of state hospital but in the consent issued by the Pollution Control Board in 2014 no permission was given for Bio Medical Waste and also on the ground no bio medical facility is setup by the M/s Rama Sethu Company Pvt. Ltd,” said sources, adding that in this case major violations have been done by the MD SIDCO, GM SIDCO and PCB for projecting the wrong case before the APCC for securing the interest of private party for malafide reasons.
However, a communication by SIDCO to Rama Sethu Company reads, “We are pleased to inform you that your proposal for setting up a unit of Integrated Common Hazardous Waste Management and Recycling Facility Including Incineration at Industrial Growth Centre, Samba Phase-II has been approved by APCC in its 43rd meeting held on 09.10.2018.”
It further reads “Sanction is hereby accorded for the allotment of 64 kanals of land at Industrial Growth Centre, Samba Phase-II, in favour of M/s Rama Sethu Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. at token premium of Rupee 1 (Rupee one) subject to free of cost treatment of all Bio-Medical Waste coming out of the health facilities run by the State Government.”
When contacted the then Managing Director, SIDCO Jammu, Raman Kumar Kesar said that he has recently joined the department and has no knowledge about the same. However, despite assurances of getting back on this after looking into the facts, Managing Director did not respond to the repeated calls.
Talking to The Typewriter, Commissioner Secretary Industries and Commerce Department, Jammu and Kashmir, Prashant Goyal said that he has to check the matter in detail.
“I have no idea about the particular case. I will check the fact about the matter and get back to you,” Goyal said.
