Trashdom-State Governments & black dogs of waste to energy

As of 75th Republic day we have to congratulate ourselves for the Good and more than that we have to, for our own achivement of entangling ourselves in statutory mechanism which prevents and discourages anyone doing anything good. This context holds especially good for the waste to energy entreprenuers, while we talk sustainibility and netzero to the world.

The good samaritan entreprenuers who are trying to enter into a space of future use and past clean up, are being chased away like a black dog entering a sacred place.

Why such a hopelessly negetive remark? let us review

In the federal structure of India the Bharat, we have layers of goverment, this eventually has evolved in to layers and layers and layers in past 75 years, that is the story I would hide from my children. This super thick and ultra thin layers are brimming with so much of power in hand that it empowers them from preventing something good happening. That is the preamble for you.

The layer Reserve Bank of India rolled a policy, subsequent layers flushed it through the drain

RBI in Sept 2020 brought Waste to energy on priority lending and termed Agri residue to energy as Agri infrastructure project. This was a welcome move but the banker who are in next layer to attain control over the Plant, machinery, land, moving and non moving assets, parents, kids and relatives of the energy entreprenuer to extend the finance.To achieve this, bankes want the agri infrastructure to happen in a land which is converted from Agriculture to Industrial. They sight sarfaesi act. But the industry of diminishing return, negetive margin, carbon spewing coal mining happens in a non industrial land. All the while scams and tar is blackening the bankers hands and face, on which they are least worried. A via media interim solution was found for digging out the coal but efforts on processinng filthy waste covering the planet needs to pass several tests as if waste processing is a crime !.

The Central Pollution Control Board to State PCB- Layering

The pollution control boards write with pride that, they are responsible (read as has ownership on waste and control mindset) for all wastes (CPCB letter 1 Jul 2016) agri residues included. As of 2024 nothing visible (even in literal meaning) could be done by these battery of people. Where as the entreprenuers who are infact trying to do PCB's job needs to pass through several scrutiny for the sin of taking up something in which PCBs failed. This is on nor we do , nor we will let you do mode. State Pollution board beign typically a rehabilitation center of non performing politicians, we cannto expect much creative work, but they can use their remuneration atleast to keep quite. The larger fun is CPCB act is not adopted by all the states ! we are in 2024 and talkgin 2050 net zero, WoW!. Every pollution control board tries to upsell like a typical car saleman. White category pushed to green, green to orange, orange to red, in this game real red is whitewashed !. Lethargy, corruption, collection, extraction, irresponsibility, no upgradation of knowledge and delaying persmission of the obvious clean energy project makes most of the PCB officials eligible for early retirement in the interest of this resource rich green country. Just by adopting CPCB guidelines, many things can start working. Approval process can be made objective, automated with scoring system, all these options are deliberately held up by the babus. When the Income tax and commerial tax can use Artificial intelligence, why not facilitating the speed on revenue creation side?

Factory License (The megalithic monument of colonial past)

The labour ministry is probably among few ministries which remains same, intact. The Factories Act, 1948 is standing tall as a megalithic monument as a residual colonial past. Along with Shop and establishment act by the state goverments it esnures that the tranquility of this deadsea is maintained. With any where between 45-180 days to start moving the file, this targetless, performanceless structure alone is good enough to kill the dream of Vikasit Bharat.

We all know how many labours got a care by this busy department, how many labours found justice. We also know how many entreprenuers, factory owners and small businessmen are brought to the street. All of the factory, boiler & labour officials should buy a good mirror and a lense. Mirror to look at themselves, and the lense to realise that, they are a sitting obstacle between a good developed country and the 1948. Instead of creating rims of papers and files, look around to reduce the turn around time. You may get your pension but your great grand kids may still have to earn their living, so act faster.

The example of complicating a simple matter is, the rules ask for layout plan, officer asks for layout plan with elevation drawing with structural design with fire NOC with....They are right the act gives liberty in saying 'at the descretion of the officer'. The wonderful coninsidence is that such decretion power does never get excercised for any positive change, always works towards streching the approval process.

Power (Electricity) Allotment is a big joke sitting in 2024

Energy is a basic need of a living creature and industries, how can someone imagine in 2024 that allotment of power is still system controlled. What does this rationing of the power in 2024 telling us? Something which is as abovious as air,water, food. Any government, still trying to distribute electricity like a temple Prasadam is nothing short of shame. This should be mere intimation driven, the moment MSME certificate is applied, the Electricity engineer's job is to allot power, lay wire, fix a transformer.

Dear fellows you are selling electricity on paid basis and not distrbuting alms to the public.

The larger fun here is the transformer, poles and wire- is paid by the entreprenuer and soon after fixing the last bolt it becomes govt property. This is still OK, else we will have to waste further time to attend the obituary of the state electricity distrbution companies in their current condition. At least next year we all have to push the goverment to decorate the men/women behind this idea with Padma____ awards.

The chest thumping STARTUP India- Skeleton alone remains.

The start up India is a name, DPIIT generates an pdf certification using data as filled by the people. It is a fully automated A4 sheet generation project. The Govt, not even spends on the cost of printing the certificate, it needs to be downloaded and printed by self. As of now worth Rs 1.25/certificate. 25 paisa for the A4 sheet and 1Re. for the printing.

Tt started with trumpets blowing, conch sounding, drums banging. Ultimately became more noise than any rithm.

It started with many exemptions, self declaration provisions and also much publicised tax exemption. Most of these exemptions and self declaration is gone under the carpet unknown to public, only the skeleton of 'Start up India' exists today. The tax exemptions on innovative ideas went to ministiral committe review, they found most startup are not innovative enough to get tax exemption, the real tax discount given is probably less than 1% of the marketing budget spent on making this noise.

The Cherry on the cake

The finance keeps switching the 5 year income tax holiday on Bioenergy ON and OFF, and most of the time it is kept as single phase bulb. 80JJA is worded by such a clever high IQ person that, you will never be able to come to a conclusion that, one is elegible or not, If it is applicable whenther for this financial year or not. Absolutely a consistancy less, short sighted, half hearted dim lit provision to show a carrot to a donkey only to realise that it can turn a toy carrot or real carrot based on the time of the day.

Conclusion

Kannada Poet & prophet of philosophical poetry Dr. D.V Gundappa said this. which is relevant and welcome to Republic day No 76.

????? ???????, ?????????????????, ???? ???????? ????? ?????? ???????,

???????? ????????, ???????? ?????????? ???????????????? – ?????????

Government is a boat tormented by swirling waves!

Few men at the helm of its oars are fully drunk;

Hurricane is hurling! ?and the people aboard are dancing like mad!

Wonder how the boat does not capsize !– Dim-lit dude.