HYDERABAD: Taking a serious view of alleged ‘malafides and bias’ imputed against the Tribunal bench before the Hyderabad High Court, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) at Chennai on Wednesday directed Telangana State government to file an affidavit tendering apology and also withdrawing the comments of malafides and bias attributed against the bench and its member, by next date of hearing.
The tribunal bench comprising Justice M S Nambiar and expert member P S Rao, while dealing with an application pertaining to Palamuru-Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS), pulled up state government for attributing ‘malafides and bias’ against them before high court while raising an objection to an order passed by the latter in constituting an independent commission on project issue.
The counsels for Telangana state who included additional advocate general J Ramachandra Rao tried to make submissions of the government’s decision to move the High Court on ‘independent commission’ issue. Not satisfied with their submissions, Justice Nambiar expressed his anger at the government’s move and directed it to file an affidavit tendering apology and in withdrawing its comments against the tribunal bench by August 23.
On May 30 this year, the tribunal while dealing with an application by B Harshavardhan Reddy against the project works, passed an order by constituting the independent commission to ascertain whether the ongoing phase-I works of PRLIS was meant for drinking water or for irrigation purpose. Aggrieved with the same, the government approached the high court contending that the tribunal cannot pass the order by constituting the commission in the absence of an expert member in the tribunal bench.
On June 28, HC stayed the tribunal order and remanded case to tribunal for passing a similar order when the expert member is present in tribunal bench.On Wednesday, matter came up for hearing before tribunal bench. While posting the matter to August 23, the bench also directed TS government to file counter affidavit in the case. The project under first phase passes through Amrabad - Srisailam - Nagarjunasagar Tiger reserve area.