NGT imposes one rupee fine on Surveyor General for not complying with its directions

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal has imposed a symbolic fine of one rupee on the country’s Surveyor General for not complying with its directions.

The green body was hearing a matter regarding the alleged felling of more than 1 lakh trees and shrubs in the protected forest area across three forest divisions of Ghaziabad, Meerut and Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh for the construction of two lanes of 111-km Kanwar Marg from Muradnagar (Ghaziabad district) to Purkaji (Muzaffarnagar district) near Uttarakhand border.

In a recent order, a bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava noted that earlier the tribunal had directed the Surveyor General to file a response and virtually appear before it, besides apprising the tribunal with the satellite image of the stretch.

"Neither the response has been filed by the Surveyor General, Survey of India, nor he is virtually present today in compliance of the above order. We have also not received any application seeking an exemption from virtual presence.

"The directions of the tribunal have not been complied with by the Surveyor General. Thus we impose the cost of one rupee for such conduct," said the bench also comprising judicial members Justices Arun Kumar Tyagi and Sudhir Agarwal and expert member Afroz Ahmad.

It said though the tribunal was "prompted to take strict action" against him, the green panel had "restrained itself from strict action", "expecting that a high officer like Surveyor General will have some regard to the orders of the courts and tribunals." Meanwhile, the tribunal was informed that the work for the construction of the road was suspended because of rain.

The matter has been posted on October 4 for further proceedings.