M A I N   N E W S

Quit playing games, SC tells Maya
R Sedhuraman
Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, October 5
In a clear warning on the controversial memorials issue, the Supreme Court today asked the Uttar Pradesh government not to “play games” or treat the court as a political opponent.

“Don't behave with the court as you behave with your political opponents in the assembly. You don't play games. Don't take the court as your adversary as if to score points against us," a Bench comprising Justices BN Agarwal and Aftab Alam told senior counsel Harish Salve, who appeared for the state government.

The Bench made the remarks while hearing arguments on the suo motu contempt notice issued to the state government following media reports that work on several memorials for Ambedkar, Kanshiram and other Dalit leaders were going on in Lucknow in violation of its undertaking to the court for stopping work.

Rejecting the state's contention that work was continuing only on those sites which were not the subject matter of the case pending before the judiciary, the Bench said if there had been any confusion over its order the state should have sought its clarification.

As a democratic government, "you should have dropped every hammer and shovel and come to this court. Why didn't you make your position clear? Rather, you went on saying that only maintenance work was going on," the Bench said. The arguments, which lasted 150 minutes today, remained inconclusive and would resume tomorrow. While the comprehensive river basin management plan will be ready by December 2010, the on-going sewage treatment projects will be put on fast-track.

The Environment Ministry will work with states to prepare specific action plans for dealing with problem of industrial pollution in Ganga Basin by January 31, 2010.

A Standing Committee of NGRBA, to be headed by the Union Finance Minister, will meet more frequently and review implementation. An empowered steering committee, headed by the Environment Secretary, will be set up for fast-track clearance of projects on JNNURM lines.

The World Bank has been engaged for a long-term support to the Ganga plan. In the first phase, an assistance of $1 billionis expected.

The proposal of $3 million project has been already approved by the World Bank. A proposal has also been submitted to the Finance Commission for a one-time allocation of Rs 1,320 crore for meeting operational and maintenance needs of STPs for five years.

Pilot projects of Sankat Mochan Foundation at Varanasi (pond based treatment) and National Botanical Research Institute (plant based wastewater management) at Hardwar have been approved, in order to encourage innovative approaches to river cleaning.

The three-hour-long meeting was attended by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal, his Bihar counterpart besidesrepresentatives of West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh at the Prime Minister’s residence. The Centre was represented by Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy and Water Resources Minister Pawan Bansal, Evironment Minister Jairam Ramesh and deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia.

While accepting the state's assurance, the Bench had taken exception to the state government spending huge amounts on the memorials. The fact that the Cabinet and the assembly had approved the expenditure was immaterial in a poor state like UP where the GDP growth was a mere two per cent, it had clarified.

The Bench also wanted to know from senior counsel Satish Chandra Mishra, a close aide of Chief Minister Mayawati who had given the undertaking, the names of the officials who were informed about the May 8 court order.

Clarifying that "responsible persons" had passed the order, the Bench said no "Tom, Dick and Harry" could flout it. "You have forced the court to look at you with suspicion."