Staff Reporter
Guwahati: The Gauhati High Court imposed a fine on the Forest & Environment Department, Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Assam Disaster Management Authority, and the Divisional Forest Officer, Kamrup Division, for not filing an affidavit within the ten (10) days allowed to them.
The bench of Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice Kardak Ete was hearing a PIL (PIL/14/2024) filed by an NGO, the North East Eco Development Society, on the water logging problem in Guwahati, which the petitioner said has been persisting for a long time.
The court had asked for a response on behalf of the State of Assam through the Additional Chief Secretary, Forest & Environment Department, Assam, Principal Secretary to the Government of Assam, Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Chief Executive Officer, Assam Disaster Management Authority, and the Divisional Forest Officer, Kamrup Division. But it was not filed within the ten (10) days allowed for the said departments to file a counter-affidavit with a response to the writ petition.
It was noticed by the court on June 3, 2024, that the petitioner had raised a serious issue regarding water logging in the city of Guwahati, which has been persisting for a long time. It appeared to the court that the aforesaid departments are not serious about solving the problem of water logging in Guwahati city, as despite the specific time granted to them, no response has been filed till the date of the instant hearing.
However, in the interest of justice, the court granted one more opportunity to the aforesaid departments to file their responses to the PIL, subject to the condition that each department is to pay a cost of Rs. 1,000 (one thousand) only with the Gauhati High Court Legal Services Authority.
The court listed the matter next on July 19, 2024.
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