The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has suspended six officials from its Pune division over alleged financial transactions linked to the approval process for industrial projects, ordering an independent departmental inquiry into the complaints and evidence submitted against them.
The suspended officials include one regional officer, two sub-regional officers and three field officers. The complaints relate to the consent approval process that industries must complete to establish and operate their units, according to official orders cited by Punekar News.
The action follows complaints alleging financial transactions connected with industrial approvals. Video footage was submitted as supporting evidence, and the officials were asked to provide written explanations. The competent authority subsequently rejected their responses after finding them unsatisfactory, leading to suspension orders pending the inquiry.
The inquiry will examine the alleged transactions, the role of each official and whether there was any irregularity or misuse of official position during the industrial clearance process. The MPCB has said that a detailed and impartial investigation will determine the nature of the allegations and assess the evidence submitted with the complaints.
The case places the consent approval system under scrutiny. MPCB consent is a regulatory requirement for industries seeking to establish and operate units, making the process an important point of contact between industrial operators and the environmental regulator. The allegations concern the integrity of that administrative process, although the suspension orders themselves do not establish that the claims are proven.
During the suspension period, all six officials will be headquartered at the MPCB’s Mumbai office. They will not be permitted to leave the designated headquarters without prior permission from the competent controlling authority. The suspension will remain in force until further orders.
The disciplinary action also separates the immediate administrative response from the final determination of responsibility. The departmental inquiry is expected to establish whether financial transactions occurred, whether the officials were involved and whether official powers were misused. Until those findings are issued, the allegations remain unproven and the officials are subject to the conditions specified in the suspension orders.
The next formal step is the independent departmental inquiry ordered by the MPCB. Its findings will determine the further course of action in the case.
