NGT sets aside fine imposed on pharma company by TSPCB
HYDERABAD: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) Southern Zone set aside the Rs 8.3 crore financial penalty levied by Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB) as environmental compensation, based on a report by a joint committee of experts, against the pharmaceutical giant Piramal Enterprises, for damages caused due to pollution from its unit at Digwal in Sangareddy district.
Piramal Enterprises had approached the NGT principal bench earlier against the penalty, following which the NGT directed TSPCB to first issue a show cause notice to the pharma company and give it a chance to put forward its side.
Following this the TSPCB again directed the pharma company to pay Rs 8.3 crore compensation, as arrived by a joint committee of scientists from various institutes who conducted an inspection in and around the company’s unit.
However, Piramal Enterprises approached the NGT (SZ) again saying that the TSPCB did not follow the NGT principal bench order and did not consider their objections to the financial penalty of Rs 8.3 crore. The NGT (SZ) said there was no spoken order passed by TSPCB and set aside their order.
It directed the TSPCB to give one more opportunity to Piramal Enterprises for personal hearing to explain their objections and consider those objections while passing an order. Piramal Enterprises has been directed to appear before the TSPCB on November 17 either personally or online and the TSPCB to pass the final order within 15 days of it.
Second chance
Piramal Enterprises had approached the NGT principal bench against the penalty levied by TSPCB, following which the NGT directed TSPCB to give the pharma firm a chance to put forward its side