VIJAYAWADA: In a temporary relief to the State government, the Supreme Court has stayed the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) order directing the State government to pay Rs 100 crore as interim penalty for failing to curb illegal sand mining in Andhra Pradesh. The apex court asked the State government to file an application with the green panel in two weeks to present its version on the issue.
It maybe recalled that the NGT, in an order in April, had slapped a penalty of Rs 100 crore on AP government after waterman Rajendra Singh, activist Anumolu Gandhi and a few others wrote to the panel expressing concern over unabated indiscriminate and illegal sand mining.
The State government then challenged the interim order in the apex court arguing that the NGT ruled by taking suo moto cognisance of the letter and did not give any notice to the AP government to present its case. In response to this, the Supreme Court, on Thursday, stayed the order for three months, and told the government to file an application with the tribunal in two weeks to present its argument. The court said that the entire process must be completed within three months.
For the record, the NGT had passed the order after it examined the joint inspection report submitted by the central and State pollution control boards in the region. It directed the State to deposit the penalty with the CPCB in a month. Stating that it was the duty of the State government to protect natural resources, it rapped the government for letting the sand mining go unchecked.