Punjab denies violation of NGT orders in Sangrur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 4

Just about a fortnight after a petition was filed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court alleging the carrying out of unsanctioned public works, constructions, and uprooting of very old trees in Sangrur, the state of Punjab has denied the allegations.

In a reply submitted to the High Court on behalf of the state and two other respondents, Sangrur executive engineer Navin Mittal denied that the order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had been violated or a developmental project implemented without sanction/permission.

Mittal added in the reply that there was no evidence in the petition to support the allegations that the “whole project” was “wasteful expenditure”. The petitioners had, in fact, failed to show that the sanctioned public works, including widening and beautification, of a stretch of a road had violated any orders of the NGT. Rather, the work had been carried out after following due process of law and obtaining all necessary clearances. The reply will come up for consideration during the hearing of the petition on Tuesday by the Bench of Chief Justice Ravi Shanker Jha and Justice Arun Palli.

In their petition, Jasinder Sekhon and two other petitioners had earlier alleged that the process was being implemented without the sanctioned plans of the municipal committee which was the authorised authority. “The expenditure is wasteful to the extent that when civil hospital and the schools are crying for attention, public funds are being used for complete beautification purpose, which itself makes the city ugly,” senior advocate Bains had submitted on their behalf.