The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed its disappointment with the West Bengal government for failing to cooperate in setting up a bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in Kolkata. The top court said the Centre should look into the prospects of shifting the environmental body to Ranchi or Guwahati.
“We are of the view that the West Bengal government has been thoroughly non-cooperative for the last more than a year for the establishment of the bench of National Green Tribunal. The state government has flouted the orders of this court which has been brought to our notice by the NGT chairman,” a bench comprising justices G.S. Singhvi and S.J. Mukhopadhaya said.
The bench directed additional solicitor-general P.P. Malhotra to seek instruction from the authority concerned about the “desirability of shifting the bench from Kolkata to Ranchi or Guwahati” and posted the matter for hearing on July 16. The court passed the order after perusing the status report filed by the NGT, updating the court on the endeavour for the setting up of its benches in Bhopal, Chennai, Pune and Kolkata and the accommodation for their members (judicial and expert) and other infrastructural issues. It noted that the NGT report expressed displeasure about the steps taken by the West Bengal government on the issue of making operational its bench in Kolkata to deal with the matters arising in eastern and northeastern region.
The report said the infrastructure for the bench was shoddy and the accommodation to be provided to the members were “inhabitable”. After perusing the report, the bench said, “It is the misfortune of this country that an important bench like that of NGT is non-functional.” While favouring the need to shift the bench from Kolkata,the bench said this will help the people from northeastern states and other states in the region where matters relating to forest issues are being raised.