NGT ban on construction in Shimla: Govt to move SC
14 March 2018 9:55 AM GMT
Shimla: The Jai Ram Thakur government is likely to move the Supreme Court challenging the National Green Tribunal verdict to vacate the ban on construction activity in Shimla, Urban Development Minister Sarveen Chaudhary said in the state assembly on Wednesday.
Replying to a query of Congress member Anirudh Singh, Ms Chaudhary said the state has filed a review petition before the NGT on February 13, 2018 to reconsider its decision which came for hearing yesterday.
The Minister said the verdict was passed by a four-member bench of the NGT on November 16, 2017 though two of its members -- Chairman Sawtanter Singh and Ragvinder S Rathore -- had retired.
He said there is not full bench of NGT so it could not be heard and the state have left the option to file special leave petition before the Supreme Court to allow the present two member bench of NGT to hear the review petition or allow to list the matter before the SC to seek vacate the stay on construction.
She assured the house that incumbent Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur is serious on the issue and want to give respite to people.
Denying the allegations made by Congress that present government not serious on the matter she alleged people were left in lurch due to non seriousness of previous government. She pointed out that the state could not plead the matter properly in the High Court or NGT and erstwhile, Law secretaries, Advocate General and state counsels did not represent the case in the court properly.
She informed that advocate Pinaki Misra was paid Rs 36 lakh as fee from the state coffers to plead this case however the counsel did not utter any words before the NGT.
She put question mark on former Advocate General Sharwan Dogra for not defending the case in the Himachal Pradesh High Court which also quashed the Himachal Pradesh Town and Country Planning Amendment Act, 2016.
Read more at http://www.uniindia.com/ngt-ban-on-construction-in-shimla-govt-to-move-sc/states/news/1167502.html#SshyHSr8Q9V0hQSX.99
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