Team Herald
PANJIM: Though the State government has been granted till January 31, 2020, to submit the draft Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP), the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has said that this is a ‘last resort extension’. Failure to do so will lead to the Environment Secretary being not entitled to draw salary from February 1, 2020 till compliance.
NGT Principal Bench headed by chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel did not find any justification as such from the State government for seeking a further extension.
“Even though there is no justification for further extension in view of huge unexplained delay for the last more than one and a half year after expiry of date fixed by the Tribunal, as a last resort extension is granted till January 31, 2020, subject to the condition that the concerned Secretary of the State of Goa will not be entitled to draw salary from February 1, 2020, if there is a default, till compliance,” the order stated.
While accepting State plea, NGT on November 27, granted further time till January 31, 2020 to submit the draft CZMP to National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM).
NCSCM has been directed to complete the exercise within three months thereafter and submit the final draft after public hearing to MoEF&CC by April 30, while Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), has been directed to issue the final notification on the plan by May 31.
NGT has further said that any delay may call for coercive measure under Section 25 of the National Green Tribunal Act 2010.
