SSNNL Too Gets Notice For Poor Maintenance

Gujarat high court on Thursday issued a notice to the state government and Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd (SSNNL) over a PIL emphasizing the poor condition of sub-minor canals because of non-maintenance. A bench of Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice J B Pardiwala sought an explanation from the authorities for the condition of these small canals near Dholka, Dhandhuka and in Central Gujarat. This came about after the petitioner, Amrish Patel from Jan Sangharsh Manch, placed photographs showing the dilapidated canals before the court.

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat Solar Park project inaugurated with much fanfare in Charanka village of Patan district recently has courted controversy.

The Gujarat high court on Thursday sought explanation from the state authorities over allegations of huge irregularities in land acquisition process for the project. Petitioner Farsubhai Goklani filed a PIL through advocate Hriday Buch claiming that certain people close to the ruling party purchased land much before announcement of the project in this village.

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to entertain a public interest litigation petition that sought a directive to the Union government to appoint an independent regulator to monitor radiation from mobile phone towers.

A Bench of Justices H. L. Dattu and C. K. Prasad told Prashant Bhushan, who appeared for the Centre for Public Interest Litigation, that the government had laid down the emission norms only in September and as such it should be given some more time to enforce them — and tighten them, if need be. “For the present, we are not inclined to admit the PIL [petition].”

New Delhi: Illegal constructions in the city are once again under the scanner of Delhi high court.

The Centre was asked on Wednesday by the Delhi High Court to submit to it a report on implementation of the government’s long-term action plan to control the outbreak of dangerous diseases like dengue in the city.

A division bench of Chief Justice D Murugesan and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw sought the report within three weeks from the Union Ministry of Health and posted the matter for December 12.

The Supreme Court Monday refused to pass an interim order restraining the Centre from going ahead with open field trials of the GM crops for the coming Rabi season.

PANJIM: The Goa Mining Labour Welfare Union (GMLWU), a registered trade union affiliated to All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), on Monday filed an intervention application in Supreme Court seeking for an order for resumption of all legal mining operations in Goa.

The union has also appealed to the Apex Court for an order directing the State government to take over and operate all the mining leases in the state. Further the petitioner also pleaded for job security and full wages to all the mine workers employed in various mines in Goa.

PANJIM: Goa government is scheduled to file an affidavit before the Supreme Court wherein it will stress the early resumption of mining in the state.

Chief Secretary B Vijayan told Herald that government, being one of the respondents, would be filing an affidavit before the Court during its next hearing of the public interest litigation. “We are party to it. We will be filing our reply. The stand of the government is clear ~that we should be allowed to resume legal mining immediately,” he said.

The court was to hear the interim findings of a Technical Expert Committee appointed by it

The Karnataka government on Tuesday allowed resumption of wildlife tourism in the State tiger reserves, after a gap of three months.

The Supreme Court had earlier this month lifted the ban on tiger tourism. Official sources in the Forest department said the tourism resumed on October 23 afternoon. “We received official confirmation to resume tourism. We conducted our first safari on Tuesday afternoon,” said a senior official. Officials said there was a good response to safari at Bandipur and that visitors enjoyed good sighting of animals as waterholes were brimming due to good rains last week.