Ministry asked to pass order in 3 weeks

The Bombay High Court here on Friday directed the union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) to pass a final order within three weeks in the Lavasa hill city case. The next hearing is on October 18.

The petition was filed by Lavasa Corporation, a subsidiary of Hindustan Construction Company (HCC), challenging the MoEF's order on November 25 last year for a freeze on construction of the proposed settlement, near Pune. MoEF said the mandatory environment clearances were not taken before work began on the project.

On September 5, MoEF had told the court it would issue a final order in three weeks. MoEF has already accepted the recommendations and pre-conditions suggested by the experts appraisal committee (EAC) formed to look into the matter. Meanwhile, Lavasa chairman Ajit Gulabchand, in a letter to Union environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan, contended the company was unfairly treated, as other companies with similar issues were given clearance. "Even after numerous appeals, during the hearing at the MoEF, apprising them about the hardships caused to us, the environment clearance order continues to evade us, though our project is appraised as an environmentally sustainable project by the EAC," his letter said.

Gulabchand took serious objection to the pre-conditions envisaged by EAC in its report. These include credible action on the violation by the Maharashtra government under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, written commitment by the company in the form of a formal resolution from the board of directors that violations of the EPA shall not be repeated, at least five per cent of the total cost being reserved for corporate social responsibility and provision of an environmental restoration fund. He said this was discriminatory victimisation.

The company, said Gulabchand’s letter, faced huge losses and irreparable damage, with the work stoppage since the past 10 months.