An audit of the accounts and records of the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (PCB) by the Principal Accountant General has revealed lapses on the part of the board in collecting the mandatory consent fee from various institutions as per the environmental laws.
Consent fee, which remains a major revenue source for the board, is collected to meet part of the expenditure involved in its functions, including processing and issue of consent to establish / operate certificates, conducting inspections, and to analyse effluent and water samples. It is fixed based on the capital investment for the project.
The audit carried out by the Office of the Principal Accountant General (Audit-II) in Thrissur showed that the non-levy of the mandatory consent fee from ports and fishing harbours amounted to 10.86 crore. The inspection covered the period from August 1, 2016 to February 28, 2022.
