HC imposes ₹25,000 fine on principal secy
LUCKNOW: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court has imposed a cost (fine) of ₹ 25,000 on the principal secretary (forest) for failing to appear before it and wasting the court’s time in connection with a case about the process for making rules for protection of wildlife .
A division bench of justice MN Bhandari and justice Manish Kumar passed the order on a PIL petition filed by a lawyer SK Mishra, raising the issue of death of lions in Etawah Safari and the loss of wildlife on railway tracks passing through the forest areas of Dudhwa National Park.
The petitioner had sought a direction to have a special tiger protection force to protect wildlife in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve.
The Tiger Protection Force was constituted way back in 2013 but the rules have not been framed till date. On January 7, 2020, the court had issued directions for completing the process of preparing the rules, else the principal secretary (forest) and another official would appear before it. When the court enquired about the principal secretary’s presence on Monday, it was initially given out that he was busy in the assembly. When the court intended to issue a notice for contempt, the state counsel informed the court that the principal secretary was on his way to court and thus the petition might be taken up after half-an-hour.
“We find it to be nothing but utter disregard of the order of this court. It is even wastage of valuable time of the court. The court cannot run on the dictum of the officer, rather the principal secretary was required to remain present when the case was called,” the court observed.
The court granted the principal secretary time on the condition of paying the fine of ₹25,000 for his default. The cost would have to be deposited with the State Legal Services Authority, Lucknow within 15 days. Later, the principal secretary appeared before the court and tendered his apology for his non-appearance.
He sought three months to complete the process. Accepting his request, the bench directed the government to place the rules for approval before the cabinet in three months.