Ramesh Gauns's Petition before the Delhi High Court against the order of the NEAA dismissing his appeal got a rebirth with the High Court directing on 12-3-2009 that the NEAA to re hear the matter once again since the issues relating to the merits of the case were not covered by the NEAA in its order.
This is an important case whereby the Ministry of Environment and Forest granted clearance to a project where the Public Hearing got conducted before the approved EIA report was prepared !
The Delhi High Court took a serious view of the casual manner in which Appeals after appeals were dismissed by the NEAA without much application of mind. The Chief Justice also acknowledged the fact that the Public hearings have become a mockery and the NEAA has become a hopeless institutions.
The project proponent also assured the High Court that they will not commence mining in Sarvona village, Goa till the decision of the NEAA on the issue.
The case is now listed for hearing on the 1st of September.
Day after tomorrow two cases filed by Ramesh Aggarwal (one relates to Monnet Ispat with respect to faulty public hearing and the other related to Scania Project at Chattisgarh again on grounds of faulty EIA) are listed for final hearing before the Delhi High Court. These will be heard along with the Petition against Vedanta (coordinated by Shankar Pani of Vasundhara) on the issue of who is an aggrieved person under the NEAA Act,1997.
There are lots happening out here and I will share the same (and hopefully positive outcome) with all members !
Ritwick
As circulated on western-ghats@googlegroups.com on August 18 2009
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