Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officers to make a comprehensive restructuring of the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB), citing the board’s expanded mandate since its inception in 1995.
Chairing a review meeting on Wednesday, the CM emphasized the need for district-level offices, and directed that regional offices be realigned with the state’s 18 administrative divisions. In industrial hubs, multiple regional offices may be established to manage workload more effectively.
The CM further highlighted the need to strengthen the Board to effectively tackle modern environmental challenges. He instructed the establishment of specialized cells within the board to handle solid, liquid, hazardous, electronic, and biomedical waste management.
He also emphasized the need for setting up special units for public grievance redressal, research and development studies, environmental awareness, publications, and the use of IT and artificial intelligence. “These steps will have a positive impact on the overall effectiveness of the board,” the chief minister said.
The CM highlighted the need to reduce the processing time for disposal of No Objection Certificates (CTO/CTE) related to industries. At present, applications in red, orange, and green categories are being cleared within 120 days. He directed that these be reduced to 40, 25, and 10 days respectively, and asked officials to develop the required system for this purpose.
He also instructed that the recruitment process for vacant positions be fast-tracked. “It would be ideal to hire skilled youth from reputed technical institutes like IITs with attractive packages,” he said, suggesting that the board should take decisions in this regard as per rules.
Adityanath further mentioned that no changes have been made to the NOC and consent fees since 2008. He called for a detailed review and necessary revisions by the board.
