CGC chief gets 3-year jail for running STP sans PPCB nod

Tribune News Service

Mohali, March 19

A local court on Monday awarded three-year jail term to five members of the management of Guru Ram Das Education Society, which runs Chandigarh Group of Colleges at Landran here, for operating a sewage treatment plant (STP) on the college premises without an approval of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB). A fine of Rs 10,000 each has also been imposed on the convicts.

The court of Mohali Judicial Magistrate First Class held CGC president Satnam Singh Sandhu, vice-chairman Parampal Singh, director Gurmit Singh Gill, general secretary Rashpal Singh Dhaliwal and finance secretary Ravinder Singh guilty in the case.

The counsel of the PPCB had claimed that the accused were not having the board’s ‘consent to operate’ the STP.

“The accused have been convicted under Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. The charges were levelled under Sections 24, 25 and 26 of the Act,” he said.

The counsel added that apart from running the STP, the accused were also discharging the used water of the college in a nearby rivulet, which was also in violation of the provisions of the Act.

As per the counsel of the board, the issue was around 10 years old.

The accused had got the ‘consent to establish’ in connection with the STP from the board. “Later, they did not fulfil the terms and conditions in this regard, following which the board had filed a case against them in 2014,” said the counsel.

Meanwhile, the convicts were later released on bail after furnishing bonds of Rs 20,000 each. They said they would soon file an appeal against their conviction in a higher court.