TNI Bureau: The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) strongly criticised the state government over what it described as arbitrary and excessive collection of pollution-related fines from the public, accusing the administration of harassing common people in the name of environmental enforcement.

Addressing a press conference organised by the OPCC media department, PCC president Bhakta Charan Das alleged that the government was imposing fines without any clear standards and using pollution laws as a tool for forced revenue collection. He claimed that ordinary citizens—including daily wage earners, farmers, small traders, salaried employees and unemployed youth—were being penalised indiscriminately across the state.

“The government has failed to provide jobs or ensure income security, yet it is aggressively collecting taxes and fines from people who are already struggling,” Das said. He questioned whether the government maintained any proper data on pollution caused by large industrial houses such as Tata, Adani, Birla, Ambani and Vedanta, particularly in industrial hubs like Kalinga Nagar, Talcher, Jharsuguda, Rourkela, Dhenkanal and Mayurbhanj.

Citing rising pollution levels, Das said air quality index levels in Angul had crossed 350, making it difficult to breathe, and noted that ten cities in Odisha feature among the country’s most polluted urban centres. He alleged that while industries, thermal power plants, mines, ash ponds and refineries continue to pollute the environment, the government was targeting vehicle owners and ordinary citizens instead.

Das also criticised the government for levying multiple taxes on vehicles and introducing additional electricity charges despite earlier promises of free power. He demanded that the basis on which pollution-free certificates of industries are renewed be made public, claiming that nearly all factories in the state contribute to environmental degradation.

The PCC president further announced that the Congress would intensify its agitation against the government, including a gherao of the Odisha Assembly in February, and demanded an immediate halt to what he termed “police high-handedness” and harassment of citizens in the name of pollution control.

OPCC spokesperson Jayashree Patra questioned the link between pollution checks and the collection of pending fines, pointing out the lack of adequate signage on roads regarding speed limits and traffic norms. She also raised concerns over the compulsory enforcement of green stickers despite their unavailability.

Youth Congress leader Manoj Biswal said the organisation was the first to raise its voice against what he called unlawful pollution fines. He warned that if the government failed to withdraw such penalties, the Youth Congress would gherao the residence of the Transport Minister as a mark of protest.

The Congress alleged that the government was resorting to aggressive fine collection as it lacked funds for paddy procurement and welfare schemes, and demanded that action be taken first against major polluters instead of burdening common people.