Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has issued a raft of such directions for the comprehensive restructuring of the UPPCB, according to a press statement.
Existing regional offices of UPPCB will be realigned to correspond with Uttar Pradesh’s 18 administrative divisions and district-level offices will be set up.
“To enhance the UPPCB’s capabilities in addressing diverse environmental concerns, CM Yogi Adityanath has mandated the creation of specialised cells within the board,” it said, These dedicated units will focus on critical areas such as the management of solid waste, liquid waste, hazardous waste, electronic waste, and biomedical waste, the statement said.
The board will also establish special units for public grievance redressal, research and development studies, environmental awareness campaigns, publications, and the integration of Information Technology (IT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the board’s functioning.
“A significant focus of the restructuring is the reduction of processing times for No Objection Certificates (NOCs), also known as Consent to Operate (CTO) and Consent to Establish (CTE), crucial for industrial operations,” the statement said.
Currently, applications categorised as red, orange, and green are cleared within 120 days.
CM Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to expedite this process to 40 days for red category applications, 25 days for orange, and 10 days for green category applications, it added.
The CM has directed the UPPCB to expedite the recruitment process for vacant positions, emphasising the need to hire skilled young professionals from institutions like IITs with competitive packages while adhering to existing regulations.
Additionally, he called for a comprehensive review of the NOC and consent fees, which have remained unchanged since 2008, and instructed the Board to implement necessary revisions. PTI CDN RT
