HC seeks IOC response on LPG outlets

Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Feb 18: The State High Court asked the Indian Oil Corporation to inform it as to why the LPG outlets have not been set up in Kashmir despite court directions.
The Division Bench of the High Court asked the IOC counsel to inform the court as to why there was delay on the issue when the amicus curie in the PIL advocate Jawad Reshi submitted before the court that despite repeated directions on setting of auto LPG dispensing outlets on various points in the Valley nothing has been done.
He further submitted before the court that vehicular pollution has been found as root cause for environmental degradation in Valley therefore the division bench of Justice Ramalingam Sudhakar and Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey asked the IOC counsel Anil Bhan to inform the court about the issue.
Court has also been apprised about the increase of vehicles day by day and amicus submitted that there are 13 lakh vehicles registered in the State and the number increases by one lakh each year. J&K, he said, is an eco-fragile State and it is for this reason that need was felt to switch over to gas for vehicles.
He said despite court directions that 15 year-old vehicles should be condemned in the State, the direction, he added has not implemented on ground. He said non implementation of court directions should be viewed seriously as further delay in complying with the orders will have disastrous results.
Regarding the steps taken for allowing Auto LPG Dispensing Outlets (ALDS) in Kashmir valley, the Amicus pleaded that OIC previously informed the court that the outlets would start operating in Srinagar city in April 2016 but till date no such outlet is functional.
It may be mentioned here that in the month of January 2015, the court had directed Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) to inform it by second week of February about the status of gas pipeline project from Mehsana-Bhatinda (Punjab) to Srinagar.
Reshi pleaded that the project has already been approved by the Central Government but is stuck for administrative procedures.
Court is yet to issue further directions in the PIL as the orders were reserved the DB.
The Authorities in terms of court direction passed in the month of December 2015 were also required to complete the work on Pampore to Shalteng road by 31st May, 2016 as also the road from Qazigund to Srinagar by ending July 2016 and were supposed to file fortnightly periodical report about the progress of work to Registrar Judicial .
“The Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir shall extend complete corporation to the aforesaid Authorities for completion of the project”, read the earlier order of Division Bench.
Apart from this the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir has filed the compliance report in terms of previous direction wherein he was directed to handover the acquired land to National Highway Authorities for completion of NHAI. In compliance of the said direction it is stated in compliance report that possession of land measuring 86 kanals- 2267 Sft has been handed over to the said authority in December, last year and the counsel for NHAI admitted this position before the court.

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