Panaji: The Bombay High Court at Goa on Wednesday struck down a controversial notification of Ministry of Environment and Forest, issued in August, which relocated National Green Tribunal(NGT)'s jurisdiction for Goa- related cases from Pune to Delhi.
The Court had taken up the matter suo motu last month, after the Union Ministry, on the recommendation of the BJP-led coalition government here had transferred the NGT jurisdiction for Goa-related cases to Delhi, citing lack of flight connectivity with Pune and absence of an office-set up in Pune in neighbouring Maharashtra.
The decision had outraged green activists and the Opposition who criticised it strongly and accused the government of trying to harass activists.
Social activist and lawyer Aires Rodrigues hailed the HC verdict as a “landmark order”.
Terming the High Court verdict as a victory for the people of Goa, he demanded that Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar apologize to Goans for “the mischievous move which has been rightly thwarted”. He has alleged that the government’s attempt to transfer cases from the Pune bench to Delhi was done to make it difficult for litigants.
Adv Rodrigues has further stated that the move of the Government was anti-people and a clear attempt to deny justice to the common man by allowing the State to ignore or even partake in environmental violations.
Adv Rodrigues has also stated that instead of bringing justice to the doorstep the government was trying to burden the people of Goa to travel all the way to Delhi for seeking justice in NGT related matters in a clear ploy to keep temples of justice out of reach for citizens.
