Himachal Pradesh government may file a review petition in the Supreme Court on the issue of National Green Tribunal (NGT) banning construction in core area and green belt or forest area in Shimla on 16 November, 2017, said Urban Development and Town and Country Planning minister, Sarveen Chaudhary in the state Assembly on Wednesday.

Replying to a question in the House, Chaudhary said the government was considering the issue sensitively. “We had filed the review petition in NGT on 20 February, 2018. It was listed for 13 March.

However, the two members of NGT, including chairperson, out of the four have retired. We will see if the two membered bench can consider it, or we may file a review petition in SC,” she said.

Earlier, Congress member from Kasumpti Anirudh Singh asked her about the government’s intentions to frame a policy for regularisation of buildings.

On this, the minister said the High Court had given various directions to the government time to time on the issue of regularisation of buildings and has asked the government not to frame any policy.

“The government cannot make any policy on the issue on its own,” she said.
Congress member from Shimla (Rural), Vikramaditya Singh said the minister was saying that the government will move SC on the NGT order.

“However, the attitude of the government towards court cases has so far been non-serious,” he said. He said the order of the NGT was violative of various provisions of the amended Town and Country Planning Act in HP.

Replying to his concern, the minister said the government will file the review petition and the decision has to be taken by the court. She hit back Congress by mentioning that the previous Congress government had engaged one politician cum advocate Pinaki Mishra for cases in NGT.

“He was paid Rs 36 lakh as fees, but he did not speak even 36 words before the NGT. The then law secretary and Advocate General too did not do anything substantial in it,” she said.

Congress member from Nadaun, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu raised the issue of permission for construction of four to five storeys in Shimla and the distinction between illegal and unauthorised constructions.

In a written reply to another question by CPM member, Rakesh Singha, Horticulture minister, Mahender Singh Thakur said during last three years, 3296 farmers applied to avail assistance for Anti-Hail Nets. Out of these, 1990 farmers have not received subsidy so far.

He said the department of horticulture will incorporate the pending liability of anti hail nets along with other components in the annual action plan for the year 2018-19 under Mission for Integrated Development Horticulture (MIDH) for obtaining approval of the Government of India.