Meghalaya HC Constitutes High Powered Committee To Look Into Issue Of Felling Of Trees For Widening National Highway In Vicinity Of Eastern Air Command

The Meghala High Court on Wednesday constituted a five member high powered Committee to look into the issue of feeling or cutting of trees for the purpose of widening national highway 40 in the vicinity of Eastern Air Command, Meghalaya.

A division bench comprising of Chief Justice Biswanath Somadder and Justice H.S. Thangkhiew was dealing with a PIL highlighting the issue of falling of trees for widening the said National Highway connecting Shillong to Dawki near the Eastern Air Command.

Eastern Air Command is one of the five operational commands of the Indian Air Force, currently headquartered in Shillong in Meghalaya.

"While the issue concerns public interest at large, before we proceed to make any observation or pass any final order, a 5(five) member High Powered Committee (HPC) is hereby constituted, which will look into the specific grievances as sought to be highlighted in the instant PIL." The bench said.

While posting the matter after three weeks, the Bench directed the Committee to submit a comprehensive report on the next date, after conducting a "thorough and detailed enquiry" with regard to the issue as highlighted and upon inspection of the actual site.

The High Powered Committee constitutes the following members:-

(i) Shri Amit Kumar, learned Advocate General;

(ii) Shri Kaustav Paul, learned Senior Advocate, who is appearing in-person in the instant P.I.L.;

(iii) A representative of the Forests & Environment Department, Government of Meghalaya at Shillong;

(iv) A representative of respondent No.10, namely, National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd.; and

(v) A member of general public, namely, Shri Jiwat Vaswani @ Bablu.

"It will be open to the HPC to suggest before to this Court viable means to resolve the highlighted issue raised in the instant PIL without compromising either with conservation of the trees (some of which are of considerable heritage) and environment on one hand and development/expansion of the road project on the other." The bench ordered at the outset.

Title: Kaustav Paul Vs. Union of India & ors

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