In a major relief to units in the Butibori industrial zone, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) has decided to refund the Environment Protection Service Charge (EPSC) estimated at Rs 1.8 crore. “The industrial units that had paid the EPSC in the year 2020 for the period January 1, 2019 to November 30, 2019 will get refund estimated at Rs 1,8 crore”, said Pradeep Khandelwal, President of Butibori Manufacturers Association (BMA). On December 11, 2019 the EPSC was suddenly increased from Rs 0.10 to Rs 1.10 per month per square metre of built up area. The EPSC was to be charged with retrospective effect from January 19 to all orange and red category industries with increment of 10 per cent every year.

 

The hefty increase was a sudden and great burden on industries in MIDC Butibori. BMA President constantly perused and objected the hike in EPSC. The retrospective amounts have been withdrawn as per confirmation mail from MIDC to BMA. Earlier, a detailed meeting was conducted on June 14 and 15, 2021. In the meeting a discussion to justify the EPSC charges were held between CEO, Joint CEO (Environment), CE MIDC and Pradeep Khandelwal, President of BMA. Further in meeting on June 15, the CEO MIDC at Mumbai had assured to genuinely review the levying of EPSC on industries at MIDC Butibori. In this connection, a 46 page justification was submitted by President BMA on June 20. Khandelwal said that units may get substantial relief in near future on the charges levied currently at Rs 1.21 per month per square metre. The BMA members may check their amount of refund from the list available at BMA office. Any anomaly may be brought to notice of Deputy Engineer MIDC for correction.