Hyderabad: The Telangana govt has claimed that the previous BRS govt violated the norms while permitting an ethanol plant at Dilawarpur in Nirmal district where the farmers are opposing the unit. The state govt stopped all the works of the unit on Wednesday following strong protests from locals.
Sources in the govt said the Centre permitted only fuel ethanol, but then state cabinet permitted manufacture of ethanol, extra neutral alcohol, industrial spirit, absolute alcohol and other products at the Dilawarpur unit. The govt alleged that permissions were given without conducting any public hearing in name of fuel ethanol.
“As per the environmental clearance, a no objection certificate should be obtained from the local gram panchayat and municipality, but PMK Distillation, without taking any permissions, constructed a compound wall in Dilawarpur and violated the norms,” sources in Telangana CMO said.
Sources in the govt said while the permissions and letter of intent were granted on Oct 22, 2022, for 600 lakh litres of ethanol and other related products, the cabinet ratified it in Dec 2022 after issuing the letter of intent. The company was also exempted from a public hearing, saying the factory comes under B-2 category.
“The Centre issued a letter of intent on Feb 24, 2023, for manufacture of fuel ethanol. But the former BRS govt had issued another letter in April last year by adding other fuels such as extra neutral ethanol, industrial spirits, and other products,” sources said.
The company received permissions for water drawal in June last based on the letter of intent by the state govt, and even TGiPASS permissions were given before the approval of the project by the state cabinet in Dec 2023, sources in the govt said.
Former industry minister and BRS working president KT Rama Rao did not respond to the calls when TOI tried to contact him.
Sources in the govt said the Centre permitted only fuel ethanol, but then state cabinet permitted manufacture of ethanol, extra neutral alcohol, industrial spirit, absolute alcohol and other products at the Dilawarpur unit. The govt alleged that permissions were given without conducting any public hearing in name of fuel ethanol.
“As per the environmental clearance, a no objection certificate should be obtained from the local gram panchayat and municipality, but PMK Distillation, without taking any permissions, constructed a compound wall in Dilawarpur and violated the norms,” sources in Telangana CMO said.
Sources in the govt said while the permissions and letter of intent were granted on Oct 22, 2022, for 600 lakh litres of ethanol and other related products, the cabinet ratified it in Dec 2022 after issuing the letter of intent. The company was also exempted from a public hearing, saying the factory comes under B-2 category.
“The Centre issued a letter of intent on Feb 24, 2023, for manufacture of fuel ethanol. But the former BRS govt had issued another letter in April last year by adding other fuels such as extra neutral ethanol, industrial spirits, and other products,” sources said.
The company received permissions for water drawal in June last based on the letter of intent by the state govt, and even TGiPASS permissions were given before the approval of the project by the state cabinet in Dec 2023, sources in the govt said.
Former industry minister and BRS working president KT Rama Rao did not respond to the calls when TOI tried to contact him.
