‘Govt fails to use green cess to protect environment’

Times of India: Margao: Wednesday, 04 March 2015.

In what has caused concern among environment lovers, the state government has failed to utilize the "green cess" collected by it for its avowed purpose of environmental conservation and reduction of carbon footprint, ever since the Goa Cess on Products and Substances Causing Pollution (Green Cess) Act 2013 came into force in July 2013.

The Goa Cess on Products and Substances Causing Pollution (Green Cess) Act 2013 was enacted by the state legislature with its stated objective being to collect cess on products and hazardous substances that cause pollution of environmental resources of Goa under the concept of 'polluter pays principle' and to provide measures for reduction of carbon footprint left due to such activities. Cess of 0.5% is being charged on sale value of petroleum products and 2% on handling of coke and derivatives of coal, lignite and similar substances.

Information procured by RTI activist, Savio Correia under the RTI Act, which has been accessed by TOI, reveals that although an amount of 13.76 cr of 'green cess' was collected during the 17-month period from July 2013 to December 2014, neither the department of science, technology and environment of the state government nor the commissioner of commercial taxes (to whom the RTI queries were directed) had any records pertaining to utilization of the green cess collected.

"This leads me to assume that the funds may have been diverted for revenue expenditure. The state's environment has thus been deprived of funds that rightfully ought to have been utilized for its conservation, etc," Correia told TOI.

Further, Goa Green Cess Act 2013 mandates constitution of an "environmental and energy audit bureau" to identify sensitive areas of energy and environmental conservation and to recommend measures for reduction of carbon footprint. This entity was to be the nodal agency for utilization of the cess proceeds. But, queries pertaining to the constitution of such a bureau under the RTI Act, have drawn a blank, with the authorities maintaining that no records are available with them.

"The green cess proceeds could have been utilized to fund environmental conservation projects and measures to reduce carbon footprint such as incentives to green buildings, promotion of non-conventional energy, awareness campaigns and other market-oriented instruments," Correia said.

Futhermore, significantly, RTI replies to the queries have revealed that no green cess was collected on handling and transportation of substances like coke and derivatives of coal, peat, lignite and anthracite by the commercial tax officer, Vasco da Gama ward, under clause (g) of Section 2 of Green Cess Act, from July 2013 to December 2014. This implies that coal products handled and transported via Mormugao port may have escaped green cess during the period, thereby defeating the very purpose of the Act.