The emerging urbanscape of Rajarhat. Three realty titans have been fined for not seeking environmental clearance for the housing estates they have built in the boom town. A Telegraph picture

Three real estate titans fined for constructing housing estates in the city’s boom town, Rajarhat, without the state pollution control board’s green signal have coughed up the money but are questioning the way rules are being implemented.

Bengal Peerless, Bengal Shrachi and DLF were given to understand that environmental clearance had been obtained for the entire township and that realtors need not individually apply for permission. So it came as a surprise when Biswajit Mukherjee, the chief law officer in the environment department, penalised them for not applying for no-pollution certificates.

The managing director of Bengal Peerless, K.S. Bagchi, said his company had discussed the issue with Hidco officials on several occasions and was “verbally” assured that no environmental clearance would be required for individual housing estates.

“We will appeal to the environment department, though we have already paid the fine,” Bagchi said.

Bengal Peerless, which cut its teeth in the real estate business with the landmark Anupama Housing Complex on VIP Road, was fined Rs 10 lakh for starting work on two estates. Another homegrown real estate player, Bengal Shrachi, and DLF, the country’s largest realty firm, had to pay Rs 5 lakh each for building residential complexes without pollution clearance.

Mukherjee said the Rs 20 lakh paid by the real estate groups would be used for the welfare of people “affected” by real estate development and “improvement of the environment”.

Officials of DLF declined comment and none from Bengal Shrachi could be contacted. Hidco officials said the environment department acted in haste.

“Our stand is that individual housing complexes should not be asked to individually seek permission from the pollution control board when the township as a whole has already received environment clearance. Housing minister Goutam Deb has already taken it up with the environment secretary (M.L. Meena),” Hidco managing director Sumantra Chowdhury told Metro.

Meena said the dispute would be “referred to the Union environment ministry for clarifications, if required”.

Another official said that when a similar dispute arose in 2006, the Union environment ministry clarified to the state pollution control board that “blanket clearance” for Rajarhat did not mean projects could be started without permission.

“In any case, if the realty firms feel they don’t need environment clearance for projects in Rajarhat, why did they write to the state environment impact assessment authority for permission?” he asked.