In a major move aimed at reducing regulatory burden and improving the Ease of Doing Business, the Assam Pollution Control Board (APCB) has issued a notification allowing auto-renewal of Consent to Operate (CTO) for Red, Orange, and Green category industries, subject to compliance with specific conditions.
The initiative is part of APCB’s effort to streamline environmental clearances and ensure timely renewal of consents, thereby minimizing delays and promoting industrial efficiency.
⚙️ Key Highlights of the Notification
✅ Eligibility for Auto-Renewal
- Industries must apply for renewal at least 60 days before the expiry of their current CTO.
- Applications are to be submitted through the CPCB’s Consent Management System.
📋 Documents Required
- Prescribed consent fee (paid online).
- CA-certified latest financial balance sheet showing fixed assets.
- Copy of previous valid CTO and latest environmental monitoring report.
- Self-certification of compliance with existing consent conditions and Board directions.
- Bank Guarantee equal to double the consent fee.
⏳ Validity Period
- Auto-renewed CTOs will be issued for a maximum of 5 years.
❌ Cases Not Eligible for Auto-Renewal
Auto-renewal is not applicable if:
- The current consent has already expired.
- There is any modification, expansion, or change in investment, production capacity, or pollution load.
- Legal disputes regarding the consent are pending.
- The previous application was refused.
- The unit produces banned items in Assam.
Such cases must follow the regular CTO renewal process.
🏢 Delegation & Timelines
🔹 Regional Offices (ROs):
- Verify eligibility and issue auto-renewal within 5 working days.
- Forward higher-level applications to Zonal/Head Office within 2 working days.
- Share weekly soft copies with ZO/HO.
🔹 Zonal Offices (ZOs)/Head Office (HO):
- Issue orders within 3 working days upon receipt from ROs.
- Submit weekly records to the Board’s Head Office.
⚠️ Enforcement & Penalty
The Board reserves the right to:
- Review, modify, or revoke CTOs at any time.
- Take penal action, including forfeiture of Bank Guarantee, if false information or non-compliance is detected.
📣 Why It Matters
This move is expected to:
- Reduce compliance time and cost for industries.
- Enhance transparency and accountability in the CTO process.
- Support sustainable industrial growth while maintaining environmental safeguards.
🗣️ Conclusion
The Assam PCB’s auto-renewal framework is a progressive step toward modernizing environmental governance. Industries are encouraged to adhere strictly to the guidelines to benefit from a simplified and expedited CTO renewal process, while also ensuring full environmental compliance.