CARE Centre

Standard Operating Procedures

Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board

2009
1

Index

Sl.No

Content

Page No.

1.

Background

2.

Objectives

3.

Location

4.

Personnel

5.

Contact Persons

6.

Functions

Roles & Responsibilities

7.

8.

9.
10.

7.1 EE (P&D)

7.2 AEE (CARE Centre)

7.3 Assistant (CARE Centre)

7.4 Riders (CARE Centre)

Time Limit for Various Activities and Responses

Responsibilities of DEE/AEEs

Responsibilities of JCEEs/EE of Corporate Office

Process flow chart

11.

10

11.1 Issuing Application

11.2 Receiving Application and Issuing orders

12.

Application Status Reporting

11
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CARE Centre
(Central Application REceiving Centre)
Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board

1. Background:
Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board enforces the Water (P&CP) Act, 1974 as
amended, the Air (P&CP) Act, 1981, as amended and various Rules under the
Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 as amended. Industries/Local bodies who wish
to apply for consent/authorization of the Board under these Acts and Rules have to
submit application forms in prescribed formats. These application forms require
certain general and technical details about the activity and certain documents to take
right

decision

on

the

application.

At

present

applications

for

various

consents/authorization are obtained from the concerned District Office and submitted
to the same office.
A review of the applications pending beyond reasonable time reveals that in
most of the cases, delays result because of incomplete applications or applications
with vague/irrelevant information or because certain documents are not attached.
More over it is seen that the time taken for receiving the applications and issuing the
consent orders is substantially more than the time taken for actual processing the
application and decision-making. Though the District Offices do guide the
industries/local bodies in filling the application, sufficient time is not given to make
the applicant thorough with the application process. There is a need to have a
dedicated team to guide the industries in filling up the application and also to simplify
and standardise application receiving process.
It is now proposed to establish a new system in TNPCB named "CARE
Centre" to facilitate industries to fill and to help them file applications painlessly and
to expedite the process of issue of consent/authorization at a single point. In the first
phase, this Centre will cater to the needs of industries/local bodies located in
Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram Districts.

2. Objectives:
1. To simplify and standardize the process of receipt of applications.
2. To effectively monitor the application status from the time of receipt of the
application to its final disposal including issue of consent/order.
3. To guide the industries in filling up the application and to make the process of
filling the application a smooth task.
4. To enable the industries to know the status of their application.
5. To eliminate delays in receipt of application despatch of consent orders.
6. To offer all the above facilities at a single window.
3. Location:
Ground Floor,
Tamilnadu Pollution Control Board,
76, Mount Salai, Guindy,
Chennai 32
Phone No: 044 - 22200220
E mail: tnpcbcare@gmail.com

4. Personnel:
Overall Incharge:
1. EE (P&D), TNPCB Corporate Office.
Exclusive staff:
1. Assistant Environmental Engineer (AEE)

- 1 No.

2. Assistant

- 1 No.

3. Despatch Riders

- 2 No.

5. Contact Persons:
1. Thiru A. Krishnamoorthy, EE.
2. Mrs N. Sujatha Prakash, AE
3. Mrs T. Rathi, AE

6. Functions:
1. To

familiarise

industries/local

bodies

the

stipulations

under

various

environmental laws.
2. To

guide

industries/local

bodies

in

filling

the

applications

for

consent/authorization.
3. To demystify the consent management process of the Board to all
industries/local bodies.
4. To receive the application forms for consent/authorization from the
industries/local bodies at a single window.
5. To despatch the consent/authorization issued by Corporate/District Office of
the Board to the applicants from a single window.
6. To guide the industries/local bodies about the various statutory returns to be
submitted to the Board and help them to prepare these returns.
7. To submit periodical reports on the status of the applications received and
consent/authorization issued to the Chairman and the Member Secretary.
(Note:
1. The functions of CARE Centre will commence from a date to be notified by
the Board.
2. Issues/enquires related to public complaints/general awareness/renewal will
not be dealt by CARE Centre)
7. Roles and Responsibilities
7.1. EE (P&D)
In addition to his present responsibilities, the EE (P&D) will have overall control over
the functions of the CARE Centre. His responsibilities in CARE Centre include:
1. To review the work of staff of the CARE Centre periodically to ensure the
smooth functioning of the CARE Centre.
2. To trouble shoot issues for industries while submitting the applications and
receiving the consent orders.

3. To identify and put in place necessary facilities required for the effective
functioning of the CARE Centre.
4. To maintain and upgrade all the infrastructure of the CARE Centre including
computers and software.
5. To ensure availability of sufficient stationery to the CARE Centre at all times.
6. To coordinate between the CARE Centre and the District Office & the
Corporate office.
7. To review the roles and responsibilities of the staff of the CARE Centre and to
modify them if required.
7.2 AEE (CARE Centre)
1. To guide industries/local bodies in understanding their obligations under
various environmental laws whenever they contact the CARE Centre either
over phone or in person.
2. To issue application forms for consent/authorization to industries/local bodies
3. To

guide

industries/local

bodies

in

filling

up

the

applications

for

consent/authorization.
4. To

guide

the

industries/local

bodies

in

understanding

the

consent

management process of the Board.

5. To verify the correctness and completeness of the application brought by the
industries/local bodies and to receive them.
6. To enter the details of the application in the Application Details part of the
CARE Centre software immediately on receipt of the application and to
generate and issue Acknowledgments.
7. To forward the applications to the concerned district office every day through
the Despatch Rider of CARE Centre under proper acknowledgement.
8. To receive the IR/Consent orders from the District office/Corporate office
9. To forward the IR received from the District office to the concerned JCEE of
the Corporate office either on the same day of receiving it or on the following
day under proper acknowledgement
10. To despatch the orders received from District office/Corporate office to the
applicants either on the same day of receiving it or on the following day.
11. To update the Application Status part of the CARE Centre Software
whenever any action is taken or response is received.
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12. To guide the industries/local bodies in understanding various statutory returns

to be submitted to the Board and in preparing these returns
13. To submit periodical reports on the status of the applications received and
consent/authorization issued, to the Chairman and the Member Secretary
through EE (P&D)
14. To inform the applicants about the status of their application whenever they
contact the CARE Centre either over phone or in person.
15. To assign suitable works to other staff of the CARE Centre
7.3. Assistant (CARE Centre)
1. To issue application to the industries as per the instructions of the AEE
(CARE Centre) after entering in the Applications Issued Register
2. To enter the details of application received in Applications Received
Register and forwarding them to the concerned District Office on the
following day of the receipt of the application through Rider
3. To issue proper cash receipt for DDs received
4. To hand over all the DDs to the Accounts section of the Corporate office on
the same day itself and obtain proper acknowledgement
5. To forward the IR received from the District Office to the concerned JCEE of
the Corporate office either on the same day of receiving it or on the following
day after entering the details in the Application Received Register
6. To assign a hologram number to the consent orders received and despatch
the consent/authorization to the applicants either on the same day of receiving
it or on the following day after entering the details in the hologram and the
despatch register through Speed Post/RPAD
7. To maintain Applications Issued Register, Application Received Register
Holograms

Register,

Dispatch

Register,

Postal

Stamp

Register

Application request Lr. file Application Acknowledgement File, DD

Acknowledgement File and "consent Order Acknowledgement file"
8. To carryout any other work assigned by the AEE (CARE Centre)
7.4 Despatch Riders (CARE Centre)

1. To hand over all the applications given by the AEE (CARE Centre) to the
concerned District offices on the same day itself and obtain proper
acknowledgement
2. To receive the IR/Consent orders from the District offices and hand over them
to the AEE/CARE Centre on the same day itself.
3. To hand over the IR to the concerned JCEE of the corporate office and
receive proper acknowledgement
4. To post the consent orders through speed post/RPAD
5. To carry out any other work assigned by the AEE (CARE Centre)
6. To maintain log book of the vehicle

8. Time Limits for Various Activities and Responses:

Sl.No.
1.

Activity/Response

Time limit

To forward the application received in the CARE 1 day (Next working day of
Centre to the concerned District Office

2.

the receipt of application)

Forwarding IR to the CARE Centre by the District 7 working days from the date
Office

in

case

Red of receipt of application by

of

category/HWA/MSWA/BMWA applications
3.

the CARE Centre

Forwarding IR received from the District Office to 1 day (Either on the same
the concerned JCEE of Corporate Office

day or on the following day

of receipt of IR from the
District Office)

4.

Forwarding the orders (consent, authorization,

rejection, etc.) to the CARE Centre by the District
Office
a. In case of all applications pertaining 15 days from the date of
to Orange category, CRZ clearance receipt of application by the
& plastic registration

CARE Centre

b. In case of all green category 10 days from the date of

applications

receipt of application by the

CARE Centre

5.

Forwarding the orders to the CARE Centre by the 30 days from the date of
Corporate

Office

in

case

of

category/HWA/MSWA/BMWA applications

Red receipt of application by the

CARE Centre

6.

Despatching the orders to the applicant

1 day (Either on the same

day or on the following day
of receipt of response)

9. Responsibilities of DEEs/AEEs in Respect of CARE Centre:

1. The DEEs of Chennai, Tambaram, Ambattur, Tiruvallur & Sriperumpudur
shall not issue or receive application for any of the following purposes
from the date the CARE Centre comes into force and becomes
functional;
a. Consent to Establish (CTE)
b. Consent to Operate (CTO)
c. Consent to establish for Expansion (CTE for Expn.)
d. Consent to Operate for Expansion (CTO for Expn.)
e. Hazardous Waste Authorisation (HWA)
f. Biomedical Waste Authorisation (BMWA)
g. Municipal Solid Waste Authorisation (MSWA)
h. Plastic Registration (PR)
i. CRZ Clearance (CRZ)
2. The DEEs of Chennai, Tambaram, Ambattur, Tiruvallur & Sriperumpudur shall
not despatch either to the applicant or to the Corporate office, any orders (IR,
Consent, Rejection, Return, etc.) on the applications forwarded by the CARE
Centre.
3. All orders (IR, Consent, Rejection, Return, etc.) on the applications sent to the
District Office by the CARE Centre shall be sent back to CARE Centre
through the Despatch Rider WITHIN THE STIPULATED TIME.
4. The DEEs of Chennai, Tambaram, Ambattur, Tiruvallur & Sriperumpudur shall
request all the persons, approaching them for obtaining or submitting
application forms or for receiving orders, to contact the CARE Center at the
Corporate office from the date, the CARE Centre comes into force and
becomes functional. They shall display the same prominently through a
Board.
5. The Despatch Rider from the CARE Centre will deliver the applications filed at
the CARE Centre to the District Office on all working days. The application will
be in duplicate with the prerequisite enclosures and two copies of the

acknowledgement that was issued to the applicant at the time of filing the
application. The District Office shall provide their acknowledgement for receipt
of application in one copy of the enclosed acknowledgement and return it
through the Despatch Rider.
6. The time limit for various actions and responses after the receipt of application
is prescribed in Table under Item 8
7. The District Office shall contact the nodal representative of the industry for
further clarification if any or to fix up date for inspection, after the receipt of
application
8. In case of Red category applications, the District Office shall forward the IR
along with a copy of the applications and enclosures to the CARE Centre
within 7 working days from the date of receipt of application at CARE Centre
9. In case of Orange category applications and applications for plastic
registration, District Office shall forward the orders to the CARE Centre within
15 days from the date of receipt of application at CARE Centre.
10. In case of Green category applications, the District Office shall forward the
orders to the CARE Centre within 10 days from the date of receipt of
application at CARE Centre.
11. In case of applications for CRZ clearance the application shall be placed
before the District Committee by the DEE within 15 days from the date of
receipt of application at CARE Centre. The date and decision of meeting
alone to be intimated to CARE Centre.
12. The DEEs shall not affix holograms and metal seal in consent orders
that are forwarded to the CARE Centre.
13. It is expected that the applications received by the CARE Centre are in full
shape in respect of all requirements. However, if the DEE feels that some
clarification is very essential or additional documents (very essential) are
required, he may obtain them from the applicant without any delay under
intimation to the CARE Centre. If the information as expected by the DEE is
not furnished by the applicant within a reasonable time (not exceeding twice
the time limit prescribed in Table under item 8 from the date of receipt of
application at CARE Centre), he shall take an appropriate decision if it is
Green or Orange Small category application. If it is Orange Large & Medium

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or Red category application, he shall either place it before the ZCCC or send
the IR to the CARE Centre with suitable recommendation as the case may be.
14. It may be noted that there is no change in the application processing
methods due to the formation of CARE Centre and any decision on the
application shall be based on various instructions issued by the Board
from time to time. Issue of renewal consents will be done by District
office as at present.
15. If the District office is unable to keep up the prescribed time limit in any of the
applications forwarded by the CARE Centre, the reasons for delay shall be
furnished to the CARE Centre in the prescribed format on every Friday
through the Despatch Rider.
10. Responsibilities of JCEEs, EEs & DM (Techinical) of Corporate Office in
Respect of CARE Centre
1. All the IRs in respect of application for any of the following purposes will be
forwarded only by the CARE Centre and not by the DEE, from the date, the
CARE Centre comes into force and becomes functional.
a. Consent to Establish (CTE)
b. Consent to Operate (CTO)
c. Consent to establish for Expansion (CTE for Expn.)
d. Consent to Operate for Expansion (CTO for Expn.)
e. Hazardous Waste Authorisation (HWA)
f. Biomedical Waste Authorisation (BMWA)
g. Municipal Solid Waste Authorisation (MSWA)

2. The consent/orders (Consent, Authorisation, Rejection, Return, etc.) on the IR

and applications forwarded by the CARE Centre shall be sent to CARE
Centre within the prescribed time limit by DM (Technical).
3. The time limit for various actions and responses after the receipt of application
is prescribed in Table under Item 8
4. The JCEEs, EEs & DM (Technical) of Corporate Office shall ensure that no
order (Consent, Authorization, Rejection, Return, etc.) on the IR and
application forwarded by the CARE Centre is despatched from the Corporate
Office despatch section.

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5. If consent/orders are not issued within the prescribed time limit on any of the
IR and application forwarded by the CARE Centre, the reasons for delay shall
be furnished to the CARE Centre in the prescribed format on every Friday.
6. It may be noted that there is no change in the application processing
methods due to the formation of CARE Centre and any decision on the
application shall be based on the various instructions issued by the
Board from time to time.
7. The District Officers will send the IR for renewal directly to the Board.

11. Process flow chart

11.1. Issuing Application
1. Appraise the industries about our consent management process
2. Check whether they have come prepared with DD towards application cost
and request letter. If no, request them to come with the DD and Letter. If yes:
a) Understand the purpose for which the application is sought and choose
the right type of application
b) Issue the chosen application after entering the details in the concerned
register along with the DD details.
c) Guide the industries in filling the application and inform them about the
prerequisite documents.
d) Inform them that they can approach the AEE/CARE Centre on any
working day either over phone or in person for any clarification in
respect of application filling and filing.

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Issuing Application
Appraise consent management
process
No
Come prepared
with DD
Request them to
come prepared
Yes
Understand the purpose and
choose the right application

Issue the chosen application &

enter the details in the register

Guide them to fill the application and inform

about the prerequisite documents

11.2. Receiving Application and Issuing Orders:

1. Please go through the application thoroughly to check whether all the columns
are filled up and whether the information furnished is relevant and complete.
You may have to understand the type and location of the industry and the
manufacturing process. In case of CTO, the application will be a request letter
signed by the occupier/authorised person along with the compliance of
conditions of CTE with necessary photographs whenever necessary.
2. Please go through the list of documents enclosed and check whether all the
prerequisite documents including DD for required CF are enclosed. (Please
note that there is no fee for HWMA, BMWA, MSWA, Plastic Registration &
CRZ clearance and no enclosures for CTO except the compliance statement
and any other documents as prescribed in CTE). If yes, follow the next step of
receiving process. If no, request the applicant to come with all the documents.
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3. If it is decided to receive the application, enter the application details in

Application

Details

part

of

the

CARE

Centre

software,

print

acknowledgement and receive the application

4. Inform the applicant, the processes through which the application will
proceed, before deciding the issue of consent/authorization. Also inform them
that the concerned district office will contact them for further clarification if
any, on their application and fixation of date for field inspection.
5. Inform them to contact the CARE Centre in case of any problems in the
District Office.
6. Forward the application to the concerned District Office on the following day
through Despatch Rider.
7. Expect IR along with a copy of the application within 10 days of receipt of the
application by the District Office in case of applications that will be decided by
the Board. If no, remind them and inform the EE (P&D).
8. On receipt of the IR along with the application from the District Office, forward
them to the concerned JCEE of the Corporate office under proper
acknowledgement, either on the same day or on the following day after
entering the details in the "Application Status" part of the CARE Centre
software.
9. Expect orders within the date mentioned in "Date before which the orders will
be issued" from the corporate office/District office depending on the type of
application. If no, obtain the reason for delay in prescribed format through
rider so as to inform the applicant about the status whenever he contacts the
CARE Centre.
10. If the order (consent, rejection, etc) is received, despatch the response to the
applicant either on the same day or on the following day after entering the
details in the "Application Status" part of the software.

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Receiving Application
Application brought by the applicants

No
All the columns filled
correctly?

Yes

Guide the
applicant to fill

No

All the perquisite documents

enclosed

Yes

Request the
applicant to come
with the document

Receive the application, enter the details in the

software and provide acknowledgement

Forward the application to the DO on the

following day & obtain ack.

No

IR received within 7
days/Order received within
time limit

Remind the DO and inform EE

Yes
Forward the IR to the JCEE of corporate
office/Despatch the order either on the same
day or next day

No

Response/Orders
received from the
Corporate office

Understand the reason so

as to inform the applicant

Yes
Despatch the response to the applicant either on the
same day or next day; Enter the details in the software

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12. Application Status Reporting:

1. Inform the applicant that the Board will make all possible efforts to see that
the application is decided by the date indicated in the acknowledgement.
However, if the Board is not able get sufficient information to take a decision
on the application within the time stipulated, the decision may be delayed.
Inform the applicant to contact the CARE Centre only after the prescribed
date to know the status of the application.
2. AEE (CARE Centre) is the only authorised person in the CARE Centre to
inform the status of the application to the applicants. He/she may request the
applicant to contact EE (P&D) in case of long pending applications.
3. Report the details of the applications pending beyond the prescribed time limit
to the Chairman and MS through EE (P&D) every day.
4. Please remember that the success of the CARE Centre will depend greatly on
your courtesy and your readiness to help representatives of industries and
applicants in getting the necessary consent within the stipulated time. The
image of the TNPC Board will depend on the politeness and eagerness to
help displayed by all the members of the CARE Centre

Chairman
TNPC Board

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