The National Green Tribunal (NGT) recently imposed a fine of Rs 100 crore on the Kochi Municipal Corporation over the massive fire at the Brahmapuram waste treatment plant. Now, the advocate representing the Corporation has come out with the allegation that the NGT had issued the order regarding the fine without hearing the local body’s version.
“I was not at all allowed to speak during the NGT’s hearing over the Brahmapuram issue. The senior advocate who appeared for the Kerala Government was given only a few minutes to present his arguments,” said Advocate James P Thomas, who represented the Kochi Corporation.
“Even though the NGT had declared during the hearing that the Kochi Corporation would be given an opportunity to file its reply, the order imposing the fine was issued without doing so,” the advocate told ‘Manorama News’.
It was on March 6 that the NGT registered a suo motu case over the Brahmapuram fire and sent notices to the state government and Kochi Corporation. When the case was heard on March 17, the NGT did not allow Thomas, who appeared for the City Corporation, to present the local body’s arguments. “Moreover, the NGT gave senior advocate Jaganth Muthuraj, who represented the state government, a mere three minutes to argue his case,” said Thomas.
“NGT closed the hearing on March 17 and posted the case for another day by observing that we would be given sufficient time to file a detailed reply as an affidavit,” said the Kochi Corporation’s advocate.
“However, the NGT did not keep its word. Instead, the Tribunal uploaded the order imposing the Rs 100-crore fine on its website,” he said.
“We will raise this point while going in for an appeal against the NGT order in the High Court or Supreme Court,” said the local body’s lawyer.
