NEW DELHI: Supreme Court on Wednesday warned the Uttarakhand govt not to treat SC orders lightly and took serious view of the state’s failure to file an affidavit regarding notifying eco-sensitive zones (ESZs) around the Corbett and Rajaji national parks, the two most popular destinations in north India for wildlife enthusiasts.
A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K Vinod Chandran reminded the state that on Feb 20 it had directed completion of “formalities qua ESZ of both Rajaji national park and Jim Corbett national parks within a period of two weeks” and had posted the matter for hearing on March 5. On Wednesday, the bench neither had an affidavit from the state nor the state’s counsel present to explain the implementation of its Feb 20 order. Finding another counsel, Vanshaja Shukla, who also appears for the state, the bench asked her about the lapse.
As she was persuading the court for adjournment to get proper instructions from the Uttarakhand chief secretary, another counsel A K Sharma appeared through video-conference and nonchalantly told the court that since the state was given time to file an affidavit by March 5, it would be doing so today itself.
When the bench asked whether ESZs have been notified around the Corbett and Rajaji national parks, the counsel said the state is seeking time to notify them. The Justice Gavai-led bench said, “The state appears to be taking SC orders in a very casual manner. We will ask the chief secretary to remain present during the next hearing.”
Shukla persuaded the court to allow the state to present the facts during the next hearing on March 19.
