WHEN THE National Green Tribunal (NGT) reopens on July 2 after a month-long vacation, it will be two days away from completing a year of existence. Disposing of a case almost every third working day, the one-of-its kind court has suspended more than a dozen industrial projects, cleared by the Union environment ministry, on the basis of faulty evaluation (see: ‘Decisions taken’). For the jury members of NGT, however, the past year has been a rough ride.
The tribunal, which was constituted by Parliament, lacks basic amenities and necessary infrastructure.
From day one, NGT has been operating from a temporary office and a makeshift court room in Delhi’s Van Vigyan Bhavan which was earlier used as guest house by the environment ministry. The official accommodation given to NGT members—many of whom are retired high court judges—are the guest rooms of the Van Vigyan Bhavan building. The members live without their families because of lack of enough space and absence of kitchen. Even if the members want to rent a house they cannot, because their salary is too little for a decent accommodation.
The members get only 30 per cent of their basic salary Rs 80,000 as housing rent allowance, which is not on a par with most of the other such tribunals and commissions in the country (see: ‘Underpaid, overworked’).
Members of the Central Information Commission; National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission; and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) have been provided with government residential accommodation, while NDMA members enjoy the rank of Minister of State.
More work, less people
On an average, NGT hears eight cases every day. In the past one year it has disposed of 98 cases and about 200 are pending. Given its increasing popularity, more cases are expected. But since its inception, NGT has been reeling under staff shortage. More than 95 posts, including that of a registrar, are vacant in NGT.
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