HC declines to stay NGT order

The Madras High Court today declined to stay the order of the Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of converting the new Secretariat building to a multi-speciality hospital.
While declining to stay the NGT order on a petition challenging it, a division bench, comprising Justice N.Paul Vasanthakumar and Justice P.Devadas, ordered issue of notice to state PWD authorities, Health and Family Welfare Department, and Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) and state-level Expert Appraisal Committee returnable by March 6.
The petitioner, R Veeramani, who is an advocate, contended the NGT failed to decide the primary question that the state- level Environmental Impact Assessment Authority had erroneously exercised its jurisdiction in entertaining the application for amendment changing the project of secretariat to multi-speciality hospital.

Citing several other grounds in the petition against the order of NGT enabling the government to change the new secretariat complex at Anna Salai into a multi-speciality hospital, the petitioner prayed for staying the order.
He also prayed for constitution of an independent experts committee to find out the suitability of the subject building in terms of physical and legal requirement of establishment of a multi-super speciality hospital.
The NGT Southern Bench had last year given its approval to the state government to launch the new multi-super speciality hospital at the government estate here.
Veeramani had challenged the government's policy decision before the court and filed an appeal before the Tribunal against environmental clearance given by state-level Environment Impact Assessment Authority for conversion of the building constructed by previous DMK government in the heart of the city.