Supreme Court pulls up WB government, favours shifting National Green Tribunal bench from Kolkata

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today expressed its anguish over the "thorough non-cooperation" of the West Bengal government in setting up a bench of National Green Tribunal at Kolkata and directed the Centre to look into the desirability of shifting it to Ranchi or Guwahati.

"We are of the view that the West Bengal government has been thoroughly non-cooperative for the last more than a year for the establishment of the bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT).

"The state government has flouted the orders of this court which has been brought to our notice by the NGT Chairman," a bench comprising justices G S Singhvi and S J Mukhopadhaya said.

The bench directed Additional Solicitor General P P Malhotra to seek instruction from the authority concerned about the "desirability of shifting the bench from Kolkata to Ranchi or Guwahati" and posted the matter for hearing on July 16.

The court passed the order after perusing the status report filed by NGT updating the endeavour for the setting up of its benches at Bhopal, Chennai, Pune and Kolkata and the accomodation for their members (judicial and expert) and other infrastructural issues.

It noted that the NGT report expressed displeasure about the steps taken by the West Bengal government on the issue of making operational its bench in Kolkata to deal with the matters arising in eastern and north eastern region.

The report said the infratructure for the bench was shoddy and the accomodation to be provided to the members were "inhabitable".

After perusing the report, the bench said, "It is the misfortune of this country that an important bench like that of NGT is non-functional".