Allocate CNG to Ahmedabad under APM: Gujarat HC

A division bench of Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice J B Pardiwala directed the Centre to immediately implement the order of this court refusing to give stay for the central government to approach the Supreme Court.

Compressed Natual Gas (CNG) is available in the city at Rs 53 per kg, while it is priced at Rs 38.35 per kg in Delhi.

The court gave this direction while hearing a petition of environmental NGO Dhanghdhra Prakrutik Mandal.

The petition had said that though as per the Bhurelal Committee report, pollution levels in Ahmedabad city were as high as that of Delhi and Mumbai, the Centre was not providing natural gas to the city under the APM.

It said the price difference is due to the "discrimination of the Centre" towards Ahmedabad city, where pollution levels are high and the courts have made it mandatory for autos to use CNG.

Assistant Solicitor General P S Chapaneri, representing the central government, requested for a stay on the court order to challenge it in the Supreme Court.

However, the division bench held that as the government is not allocating natural gas under APM, this order has to be implemented immediately.