Team Herald
PANJIM: The High Court of Bombay at Goa has dismissed five writ petitions filed by Salgaoncar-owned real estate company, which sought to challenge the report of the Sharma Private Forest Review Committee that had categorised their land as ‘private forest’.
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The order came in response to five applications filed by NGO Goa Foundation to these pleas reminding the court of its own orders in the past directing that such matters be filed before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and not before the High Court.
The real estate firms stated in their petitions that they had not been given a hearing in the matter prior to finalisation of the report, and therefore, they suffered from violation of the principles of natural justice.
The High Court relied upon its own orders passed in the recent past holding that such petitioners had a right of appeal against the NGT before the Apex Court, and that the Apex Court had already issued notice in some matters where such appeals had been filed.
During the hearing, the petitioner brought to the notice of the High Court that the State government’s appeal against the Sharma Private Forest Review Committee report had already been rejected by the Supreme Court.
While dismissing the petitions, the High Court stated in its order “…such dismissal will in no manner preclude the petitioners from availing of the remedy provided under the NGT Act.”
