BJP leader cries vendetta after his firm is fined 99.7L

Patiala: The Punjab pollution control board (PPCB) has imposed an environmental compensation of Rs 99.7 lakh on a factory owned by a Congress-turned-BJP leader Jagdish Kumar Jagga in Rajpura.The compensation was imposed by the PPCB on M/s Anand Beverages Rajpura, which is involved in packaging of drinking water and soda. PPCB authorities claimed that the factory did not have any permission to extract groundwater.Following a complaint from the area residents in October last year, a team was constituted to check the use of groundwater, said PPCB officials, adding that the team found that a bore-well was being used to extract groundwater without permission.The factory used nearly 80 kilo litres of water per day, said the officials. “We have imposed the environmental compensation of Rs 99.71 lakh on the defaulting company for not having required permission from the central groundwater board authorities. The fine was imposed after conducting hearings and verifying the documents and replies submitted by the company. We have sent the environmental compensation recovery orders to the deputy commissioner, Patiala, for recovery of fine imposed on the company,” said PPCB member secretary BS Majithia.Jagga is known to have close ties with former CM Captain Amarinder Singh. He resigned from the Congress after Amarinder was ousted from the party.Jagga did not join Punjab Lok Congress, floated by Captain, but joined the BJP and contested the 2022 assembly elections from Rajpura. He finished as a runner up after losing to Neena Mittal of the AAP.Speaking to TOI, Jagga said: “I did not receive any notice from the PPCB, but I have learnt from the media that the PPCB has asked Patiala DC to recover Rs 99.7 lakh environmental compensation from my factory for not having central groundwater permission.”