HIGH COURT STALLS FOREST DESTRUCTION FOR INTERNATIONAL CRICKET STADIUM AT THIVIM, GOA
The Bombay High Court bench at Goa, comprising Justices A S Oka and F.M. Reis, has disposed of a public interest petition filed by the Goa Foundation and three Thivim farmers challenging permissions granted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests to destroy a natural forest comprising 2500 trees, while at the same time directing the Ministry of Environment and Forests, which has already initiated inquiry into the forest clearance, to consider the representation of the petitioners on all the issues raised in the petition. In the meanwhile, the High Court has directed no trees from the forest will be felled. Download PDF.
VEDANTA (SESA Goa) TO REMOVE ILLEGAL MINING DUMPS FROM ADVALPAL VILLAGE
Vedanta’s lawyers on January 6th assured the High Court of Bombay at Goa that the company would remove several illegal dumps it had created at the edge of their mining lease at Advalpal village in north Goa and which threatened the safety of the village settlement. Download PDF
Goa Foundation Approaches Supreme Court Against Pollution Control Board Appointments Countrywide
The Goa Foundation today filed a detailed writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution for directions to State Governments to justify their present appointments to posts of Chairpersons and Member Secretaries of their Pollution Control Boards.
As per data made available in the petition, only five states out of 34 have Pollution Control Boards that are headed by persons who are adequately qualified to hold their posts. Of the remaining, 12 Boards have neither Chairpersons nor Member Secretaries that are qualified. In 13 other Boards, either the Chairperson or the Member Secretary is unqualified to hold the post. Download PDF
High Court Adjourns PMCA/Goa Foundation Application for CBI Inquiry into Aldeia de Goa Forgeries to October 13 2009
A division bench of the Bombay High Court comprising Justices S.B.Deshmukh and N.A.Britto today adjourned till October 13 an application filed by the Peoples’ Movement for Civic Action (PMCA) and the Goa Foundation pressing for a CBI inquiry into the disappearance of all files containing approvals relating to the construction of the Aldeia de Goa complex coming up at Bambolim, Goa. Download PDF
Union Environment Secretary Fined Rs.10,000 by Court
A division bench of the Bombay High Court comprising of Justices S.D. Deshmukh and U.D. Salvi has imposed a fine of Rs.10,000 on the present Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Govt. of India for not filing an affidavit the High Court had asked for in a petition on forest protection pending before it. Download PDF
High Court Checkmates Sesa Mining at Advalpal
A division bench of the Bombay High Court comprising Justice S.B. Deshmukh and U.D. Salvi today passed a brief order restraining Sesa Goa from mining Face 1 & Face 2 of the company’s iron ore mining lease at Advalpal village, near Assonora, Bardez.
The Court found the company had been mining in violation of its mining plan. After the restraint order, the Court posted the matter to October 8 to take on board the company’s proposal to remove within a specific time-frame the huge illegal mining dumps it had created along the Advalpal nallah. Download PDF
Supreme Court issues notice on Cidade de Goa contempt
The Supreme Court today issued notice to Ms. Anju Timblo, Director & MD of Fomento Resorts & Hotels (Owners of Cidade-de-Goa), Shri J.P. Singh, former Chief Secretary and Shri Sanjay Kumar Shrivastav, present Chief Secretary, on a contempt petition filed by the Goa Foundation for gross and willful disregard of the directions given by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in its judgment dated 20th January , 2009. Download PDF.