Art of Living event: NGT notice to Delhi govt on review plea

The National Green Tribunal on Monday sought response from Delhi government and Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on a plea seeking review of its order allowing the Art of Living group’s cultural extravaganza on the Yamuna floodplains here last month.

A Bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar issued notices to Arvind Kejriwal government, DDA and Art of Living foundation and asked them to respond to the review plea filed by Manoj Mishra of Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan. “We have gone through the review plea. The whole emphasis in your petition is on the delay and laches. See, we have only passed an interim order and the matter is yet to be heard finally on merits. All rights and contentions are kept open and no direction is required at this stage...Issue notice,” the Bench said. During the proceedings, the bench also issued notice to Mishra on a separate application filed by AOL seeking to pay penalty imposed in the form of a bank guarantee and extension of time for payment of the remainder amount.

Advocate Sanjay Parikh, representing Mishra, strongly opposed the plea for furnishing a bank guarantee and extension of time. He also referred to some recent photographs and said the event has damaged the floodplains of Yamuna.

“They (AOL) had given an undertaking before the tribunal that they would pay the amount in three weeks and now they are coming for extension of time. This is subversion of rule of law and the tribunal’s orders,” Parikh said. The Tribunal, however, said it would not express an opinion at this stage and asked Misra to record his objections by way of a written response. “This is something very serious. We are not saying anything at this stage. Law will take its own course,” the Bench said.