Reply sought on plea for full-time UPPCB chief, secy

LUCKNOW: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court on Friday sought the state’s reply within two weeks on a public interest litigation (PIL) petition, seeking directions to appoint full-time chairman and secretary in Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board(UPPCB).

The court directed the state counsel to file a counter affidavit (reply) to the petition, listing it on March 5.

The division bench of chief justice Govind Mathur and justice Ritu Raj Awasthi passed the order on a public interest litigation petition filed by one Abhishek Tiwari through his counsel Chandra Bhushan Pandey.

The petitioner’s counsel submitted that as per law, instead of giving additional charge of these posts to senior IAS officers, fulltime chairman and secretary of UPPCB should be appointed by the state government framing the guidelines or rules for the same. The state government was represented through its counsel.

MANOJ KUMAR SINGH