AGRA: The Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) authority Chairman, K Ram Mohan Rao, has been directed by the Supreme Court to personally appear before the court, on July 26, to explain their proposal to expand
industries in Agra when there was an "ad hoc moratorium" on it.
The court issued a notice to the Rao, who is also the Commissioner of
Agra division, on a plea seeking contempt action against the officials of TTZ authority for allegedly setting up new industries and granting permission for expansion in the area.
The apex court order states that the TTZ should furnish the details, including names, of industries that have applied for expansion or reopening. Also, the names of industries, whose proposal are under consideration of approvals and those which have been granted permission till June 2018.
Concerned about the Taj, a bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta told an industry body to shut down all industries. The bench wondered how anyone could apply for expansion of industries when they were not entitled to do it.
Chairman of TTZ authority K. Ram Mohan Rao said that as per the order on September 8, 2016 passed by the Ministry of Environment and Forest, there is an “ad hoc moratorium” on establishing new industry and expansion of old industries, but TTZ has not granted permission for setting up new industry or expansion of old existing industry.
Rao clarified this further and said that few existing industries in Firozabad demanded supply for “gas” according to their coal based capacity, which was not the expansion. He said, he will put this clarification before the court.
Expressing resentment with the TTZ authorities, office bearers of National Chamber of Industries and Commerce Agra, said that due to Chairman’s decision for granting permission for expansion of industries, the Supreme Court directed that factories operating here should be shut down.
The TTZ Authority looks after an area of about 10,400 sq kms kms spread over the districts of Agra, Firozabad, Mathura, Hathras and
Etah in Uttar Pradesh and Bharatpur districts of
Rajasthan.
The apex court has been monitoring development in the area to protect the Taj Mahal, built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his wife.
