Featured

Illegal Quarrying: HC Stays Rs 12 Crore NGT Fine On Puri Jagannath Temple Administration

By
OB Bureau

Cuttack: The Orissa High Court has issued a stay on the National Green Tribunal (NGT) direction to the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) to deposit Rs12 crores with the Khurda Collector for reclamation and restoration of stone quarries of the temple.

The division bench of Justices BR Sarangi and MS Raman issued the interim stay on the basis of a petition filed by the chief administrator of SJTA challenging the NGT order passed on October 14, 2022. “As an interim measure, it is directed that the order dated 14 October 2022 passed by the National Green Tribunal, Eastern Zone, Kolkata shall remain stayed till 4 October 2023,” the bench said on Monday.

The court has also issued notice to the Khurda collector, member secretary of Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB), member secretary of State Environment Impact Assessment Authority and Bidu Bhusan Harichandan, the petitioner, and posted the matter to October 4, 2023.

The NGT’s east zone bench had issued the direction while hearing a petition filed by Harichandan over alleged illegal stone mining in nearly 500 acres of the temple land under Nijigarh Tapang panchayat in Khurda district. He had alleged that these areas were basically cashew jungle, gramya jungle (village forest) and gochar land (common land). No environmental clearance or consent to operate was obtained from the respective authorities while mining activities were taken up after clearing trees, the petition added.

Besides directing SJTA to deposit Rs 12 crore, the bench had asked the Khurda collector to constitute a committee for the purpose of restoration and renovation of the excavated areas in 23 quarries as per plan, and complete the entire work within four months.

The committee, constituted by NGT with OSPCB as the nodal agency, had confirmed illegal quarrying. The fine amount was the cost of renovation, reclamation and restitution of the 23 quarries, identified by SJTA after discussion with OSPCB as sites where no mining operation will be undertaken.

According the committee report, only 27 of the 72 quarries in Puri Jagannath Temple land had obtained environmental clearance, consent to establish (CTE) and consent to operate (CTO). While 24 quarries do not have CTE, 37 have not obtained CTO, it added.

The temple administration, however, contended that Odisha Minor Minerals (Regulation & Development) Act, 1957 is not covered under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010. Therefore, any order passed by the rights panel on the basis of the OMMC Rules is in violation of the Act itself.

The counsel appearing for the petitioner had said that as per provisions contained in Section 14 of the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010, the tribunal shall have the jurisdiction over all civil cases where a substantial question relating to environment (including enforcement of any legal right relating to environment), is involved and such question arises out of the implementation of the enactments specified in Schedule-1. But, Schedule-1 does not cover Odisha Minor Minerals (Regulation & Development) Act, 1957.

 

OB Bureau

Recent Posts

How Delhi Police Cracked Gangrape Of Odisha Researcher; Cop In Guise Of Social Worker, Footage Of 700 CCTVs

New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: After over 20 days of investigation and analysing more than 700 CCTV cameras,…

November 7, 2024

‘No Notification Exists’: HC Closes Plea Against 1988 Ban On Salman Rushdie’s ‘The Satanic Verses’

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has closed proceedings on a petition challenging the Rajiv…

November 7, 2024

Criticised For Touching His Wife’s Feet, Vikrant Massey Gives It Back To Trollers

Mumbai: ‘12th Fail’ actor Vikrant Massey recently got trolled after pictures of him touching his…

November 7, 2024

Threat Call: Was Shah Rukh Khan Targeted For His Deer-Hunting Dialogue In ‘Anjaam’?

Mumbai: Mumbai Police swung into action immediately after Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan received a…

November 7, 2024

[Watch] Snowfall In Desert For The First Time!

Dubai: The effects of global climate change are being seen in various manifestations across the globe.…

November 7, 2024

Police Case Against Websites Selling T-Shirts With Photos Of Dawood, Bishnoi

Mumbai: When criminals are idolised and used for commercial purposes, police are bound to take action.…

November 7, 2024

11 Years After Criminal’s Murder In Bomb Explosion, Court In Odisha Sentences 11 Accused To Life

Berhampur: The Ganjam district and sessions court here on Thursday sentenced 11 persons to life…

November 7, 2024

Astronaut Sunita Williams’ Health Deteriorates Due To Extended Stay In Space

New York: Recent pictures of Sunita Williams and Barry 'Butch' Wilmore from the International Space…

November 7, 2024