Haryana Excise and Taxation Commissioner Arun Kumar confirmed: “Ashok Jain, Shailesh Patil and his wife are all partners in the distillery. The last two first wanted authorised signatories nominated by them to sign the permits and Memorandum of Understanding but we insisted on the rules and they signed.”

Contacted by The Sunday Express, Jain said: “We obtained every type of approval before we commenced operations.”

Given the potential impact of distilleries on ground, water and air pollution, the sanction process is guided by elaborate norms of the CREP (Corporate Responsibility for Environmental Protection), Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as well as strict guidelines imposed by the MoEF, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the state Boards, in this case the HSPCB.

Official records show how the Centre’s permission came in the face of the state pollution control board’s objections:

• In August 2006, the HSPCB issued a No-Objection Certificate (NoC) to N V Distilleries, imposing 24 conditions for environmental protection.

• The Environment Impact Clearance from the MoEF came in February 2007, with 17 fresh conditions. These clearances were for starting “grain-based liquor production with zero discharge levels” and with a production capacity of 60 KLPD (kilo litres per day).

• However, on September 17, 2007, the MoEF sent a letter permitting the distillery to expand the project from 60 KLPD to 75 KLPD. And to exercise a “dual feed” option, that is, production of liquor from either grain or molasses (where the comparative environmental hazard is much higher).

... contd.