High drama ensued at the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) office on Church Street on Tuesday (Aug 27) late at night as senior BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal staged a dharna demanding Consent for Operation (CfO) for his sugar factory in Kalaburagi district. Leader of Opposition in the assembly, R. Ashok, joined him on Tuesday late at night and announced a protest against KSPCB on Wednesday.
The State government had moved against Mr. Yatnal’s factory Siddhasiri Ethanol and Power Unit, in Chincholi, Kalaburagi district in November 2023. Forest Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre had in January 2024 warned of criminal action if the factory was not shut. He had said that the factory had installed boilers without obtaining permission and that the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests had earlier imposed a fine of ₹1.5 crore over the same.
Following this, Mr. Yatnal claimed that he challenged the KSPCB’s order in the High Court of Karnataka and got an order in his favour on August 21. “The two-judge bench clearly directed the Board to issue CfO. I came to the KSPCB office at 1 p.m. on Tuesday. The member secretary H.C. Balachandra has been trying to dodge implementing the order,” he alleged.
Mr. Ashok alleged large-scale corruption in giving CfOs to industries by KSPCB. However, he said Mr. Yatnal was being targeted either because he was an Opposition MLA or because he hasn’t paid bribes.