Submit compliance report in week: NGT

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, March 20

The National Green Tribunal (NGT), New Delhi, has instructed the Municipal Corporation of Bathinda (MCB) to submit a compliance report regarding the preparations made for door-to-door garbage collection work within a week or face penalty of Rs 50,000. The next hearing of the case has been fixed for April 3.

The hearing was held by a three-member bench comprising Justice Dr Jawad Rahim, judicial member, Justice SP Wangdi, judicial member and Dr Nagin Nanda, expert member, on Monday.

In the judgment, they have stated that Punjab had to comply in the matter relating to two regions — Amritsar and Bathinda.

It has failed to report compliance of the directions in the specifically issued order dated January 16.

As the learned counsel appearing for the state of Punjab submits to his knowledge and instructions from the officer present that Punjab has substantially complied with the direction and the statement to this effect is filed, but factually, the statement is silent regarding compliance, the judgment states.

Later, the counsel for Punjab had stated that they be given opportunity to file statement to explain what action they have taken and the difficulty if any.

The court has accepted their request and has made it clear that unless the report of compliance is filed to the satisfaction of the Tribunal, the cost shall remain.

In the previous hearing at the NGT over running the solid waste management plant, which was held on January 16, the company had stated that the decision taken in the earlier hearing should be implemented while the MC and the Punjab Government demanded that before leaving the door-to-door garbage collection work, the company should give them time for making alternative arrangements.

After listening to both parties, the NGT asked the company to continue its door-to-door garbage collection work till April 30.

It also directed the MC to make all preparations and alternative arrangements for garbage collection in three months.

The NGT also directed the government to give the tipping fee as the company had claimed that around Rs 1.5 crore in the form of fee was outstanding against Bathinda and 18 municipal councils.

Three-member bench

• The hearing was held by a three-member bench comprising Justice Dr Jawad Rahim, judicial member, Justice SP Wangdi, judicial member and Dr Nagin Nanda, expert member, on Monday. 
• In the judgment, they have stated that Punjab had to comply in the matter relating to two regions — Amritsar and Bathinda.
• In the previous hearing at the NGT over running the solid waste management plant, which was held on January 16, the company had stated that the decision taken in the earlier hearing should be implemented while the MC and the Punjab Government demanded that before leaving the door-to-door garbage collection work, the company should give them time for making alternative arrangements.