In a move to enhance the Ease of Doing Business and reduce the compliance burden on industries, the Pollution Control Board of Assam (APCB) has issued a fresh notification introducing the auto-renewal system for the Consent to Establish (CTE) for Red, Orange, and Green category industries.
This notification supersedes the earlier Notification No. IT-26/8/2025-IT-PCBA issued on June 27, 2025, and streamlines the process for project proponents who require extension of CTE validity for ongoing industrial development projects.
📜 Key Highlights of the Notification
📅 1. Uniform Validity Period
- All CTEs issued by APCB will now have a standard validity of 5 years.
- Project proponents are expected to complete construction and commissioning of their units within this period.
🔁 2. Auto-Renewal Mechanism Introduced
To support project developers who are unable to complete construction within the original validity period, auto-renewal of CTE has been introduced with no requirement for site inspection, provided the following conditions are met:
✅ Requirements for Auto-Renewal:
The project proponent must submit:
- A requisition letter addressed to the issuing authority of the original CTE.
- A copy of the valid CTE order and Environmental Clearance (EC) order (if applicable under EIA Notification).
- Details on progress of construction, including installation of pollution control systems (Air/Water) along with photographs.
- Reasons for extension, and estimated time needed to complete the project.
- Latitude and longitude of the project site.
🚫 3. No Auto-Renewal in Certain Cases
- Projects that have not initiated any construction activity during the original validity period (basic structures like compound wall or security room will not qualify) and apply after expiry of the CTE will not be eligible for auto-renewal.
📆 4. Extension Period
- The extension shall be granted for the duration requested by the industry, subject to a maximum of 5 years.
- For projects requiring Environmental Clearance, the extension will be granted only till the validity of the EC order.
⚠️ 5. Strict Compliance Expected
- All relevant authorities must strictly implement the auto-renewal guidelines.
- Any deviation or non-compliance will be viewed seriously, and action will be taken against the responsible officers.
🌿 Impact and Significance
This policy shift reflects Assam’s commitment to:
- Promote industrial development
- Simplify regulatory processes
- Ensure timely implementation of pollution control measures without unnecessary bureaucratic delays.
By removing the need for re-inspection and enabling digital/administrative renewal based on submitted progress reports, the APCB is aligning with national efforts to foster a pro-business environment while maintaining environmental safeguards.
📢 Conclusion
With this notification, the APCB has taken a proactive step towards balancing environmental protection with industrial facilitation. All industrial stakeholders in Assam are advised to take note of the updated procedures and ensure compliance to avoid delays or rejection of extension requests.