NGT imposes Rs 25,000 costs on U'khand PCB for not following order

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal has imposed Rs 25,000 as costs on the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board for not filing a report about illegal mining in the state.

The green body was hearing a matter regarding illegal mining in the Laksar town of Haridwar district.

In an order passed last week, a bench of National Green Tribunal Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava said the panel on May 9 had directed the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board (UKPCB) to take appropriate action against the violators and submit an action taken report.

Despite this, the report was not filed, said the bench, also comprising Judicial Member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and Expert Member A Senthil Vel.

"Counsel for the UKPCB submits that show notices are about to be issued and, in this background, a prayer for adjournment has been made. We find that order of the tribunal has not been complied with, therefore, we accept the prayer for an adjournment for extending the time for filing the action taken report, subject to a deposit of cost of Rs 25,000 by UKPCB within two weeks," the tribunal said.

The matter has been posted to December 3 for further proceedings.