NEW DELHI, July 5:
The National Green Tribunal has directed all states and Union Territories (UTs) to explain within a week whether appointments of Chairmen and Member Secretaries in State pollution control boards have been made as per the guidelines stipulated by it.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar warned that if the reply is not filed by them within the requisite time, it would impose a cost of Rs 25,000 on each defaulting state or UT.
“All the State Governments and the UTs shall file a specific reply within one week on whether they have complied with the directions contained in the judgment of the tribunal of August 24, 2016.
“Whether the Rules have been framed in accordance to the judgment and appointment of Member Secretary/Chairman have been made in terms of the same, if framed. Whether the Chairman/ Member Secretary presently working in the state board are qualified as per the judgment to hold the said post,” the bench said.
The matter was listed for next hearing on July 12.
The Maharashtra Government is among several parties which have challenged the June 8 NGT order in the Supreme Court, barring the heads of 10 state pollution boards from working till the appointments are made in accordance with its judgment.
The States are Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Kerala, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Maharashtra and Manipur.
The green panel, however, had granted three months to Delhi Government and two months to Punjab and Uttar Pradesh for making the appointments to their pollution control boards as per the guidelines issued by it. (PTI)
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