Power connections for tubewells: NGT's larger bench to hear petition

BATHINDA: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has decided to hear the petition about release of tubewell connections to farmers in Punjab at a larger bench. The bench, comprising chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar (retd) and expert members D K Agrawal and Ranjan Chatterjee on Thursday heard the case and adjourned the matter to March 27 with directions to the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA).

Earlier on March 9, the two-member bench comprising judicial members P Jyothimani and U D Salvi had observed that as the matter required serious consideration it should be heard by a larger bench consisting of judicial members and experts and had directed the case to be placed before the chairperson for constituting a special bench to hear and dispose off the matter.

On March 5, 2014, NGT had ordered status quo on release of power connections for tubewells and nearly 1 lakh Punjab farmers have since then been waiting.

"The bench comprising chairperson on Thursday asked the CGWA to put before the bench the situation of Punjab on groundwater and the status of uranium contamination in the water," said NGO Safal Bharat Guru Parampara chairman P K Rana.

Punjab additional advocate general Jaskirat Singh said, "The matter has been posted to March 27 and the chairperson will decide about the number of judicial and expert members to hear the case."