NGT slaps Rs 25,000 fine on applicant for giving false statement

New Delhi, May 30 (PTI) Rapping an applicant for not approaching the tribunal with "clean hands" and "wasting" its time, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has slapped him with a fine of Rs 25,000.

The green body was hearing an application connected with a case where the applicant, Vipin Kumar Saxena, was alleged to have undertaken sand mining on Uttar Pradesh's Dhasan River. A panel formed by the tribunal to ascertain the allegations reported certain deficiencies by him in compliance with Environmental Clearance (EC) conditions.

Saxena moved the present application, saying his plea for restoring the EC had been kept pending by the UP State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) and it needed to be decided as he had complied with the prescribed conditions.

In an order dated May 23, a bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava noted that Saxena had stated that the orders of cancellation of EC and rejection of the application for restoration of EC had not been served upon him.

The bench also comprising judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member Afroz Ahmad noted the reply by SEIAA, according to which the EC cancellation was duly conveyed to Saxena through speed post and email.

"The above material establishes that the order of cancellation of EC was duly conveyed to the applicant (Saxena) and it was also uploaded in the public portal. Therefore, the applicant cannot deny its knowledge," the tribunal said.

It said Saxena had "falsely" stated in his additional affidavit dated January 29 this year that he had not received the order of cancellation of EC dated December 12, 2024.

"Thus, we find that the applicant has not approached the tribunal with clean hands and has unnecessarily wasted not only the time of the tribunal but has also caused harassment to the respondents (state authorities).

"In these circumstances, this original application (OA) is dismissed with the cost of Rs 25,000 to be paid by the applicant to SEIAA, UP, within two weeks," the tribunal said. PTI MNR MNR KSS KSS