Fill vacant posts in NGT soon, rules HC

The Delhi high court on Thursday asked the Centre to expedite the process of appointing judicial and expert members in the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

A bench of acting chief justice Gita Mittal and justice C. Hari Shankar was informed by the Centre’s counsel that steps have been taken to fill the vacant posts of judicial and expert members in the NGT and assured that it would be done soon.

The court, which listed the matter for next hearing on October 31, was hearing a PIL filed by lawyer Gaurav Kumar Bansal, seeking filling up of vacancies in the NGT.

The Centre’s standing counsel Jasmeet Singh said the Union ministry of environment and forest (MoEF) has given two advertisements inviting applications for five judicial posts and seven posts of expert members. The last date of receiving applications was September 18.

Advocate Summer Sodhi, representing Mr Bansal, said if the appointments were not made immediately, then after December 9, the NGT will have only two members left as against 10 provided by law.

On February 13, 2018, only three members will remain as against a minimum of 10 members, he added.

Expressed concern over the vacant posts of judicial and expert members in NGT in the near future, the court asked if the government wanted to wind up the environmental protection body.