Ensuring that the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has an important role to play in the maintenance of the environment and to prevent pollution in the industrialized state, the Aurangabad Bench of the Bombay High Court rapped the state government for not constituting its optimum board. . level for more than 14 years, with vacancies of specialist members among others.
The court asked the government to respond within a month to what period the board would be constituted with all its might.
A division bench of Justice Sanjay V Gangapurwala and Justice Rajesh N Laddha was hearing a PIL of NGO Lokjagar Foundation through its chairman Pandharinath Sable on August 5, which had complained that MPCB has not been constituted as per law. .
The foundation claimed through senior advocate VD Sapkal that five members and three non-officials from among the local authority members are yet to be appointed to represent the interests of agriculture, fisheries, industry or trader.
Sapkal said the board has not been constituted for more than 14 years and posts of expert members have not been appointed. He said that the posts of such experts are honorary and the government will not have to face any financial liability for the same.
During the last hearing in March this year, the court had taken note of an affidavit filed by the state government and held that the board has not been constituted with a total strength of 17 members. The HC had said, “The affidavit is also silent about the steps being taken by the respondents to make the Board functional to its optimum.”
The court then asked the government to provide the steps to be taken for the appointment of ‘non-official members’ and the period within which this could be done.
Earlier this month, the bench said, “MPCB has an important role to play in the maintenance of ecology and environment. Expert members will always be an asset to the board… 14 years is a very long period as the board may not be constituted optimally.”
The bench directed the government to make a ‘positive statement’ on September 2 about the steps to be taken to fill the vacant posts.
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