Team Herald
PANJIM: In response to the news report that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) Delhi witnessed an unusually heated exchange of words between Additional Solicitor General of India Atmaram Nadkarni, Goa Advocate General Dattaprasad Lawande and counsel for the petitioners, Ritwick Dutta, during a hearing challenging the environment clearance (EC) for the Greenfield International Airport at Mopa, the petitioners have given their version of the incident.
Hanumant Laxman Aroskar, Shyamsundar Mayenkar and Raghuvir Talkatkar stated that Dutta pointed out during the hearing that Nadkarni, was representing the Ministry of Environment and Forests as well as the Department of Civil Aviation, giving rise to conflict of interest, as MoEF is supposed to regulate the actions of the other authorities and the project proponent.
Dutta also pointed out how Nadkarni, while representing MoEF, submitted to the Tribunal that MoEF’s office memoranda are impermissible in law.
“The Advocate General of Goa and Additional Solicitor General of India lost their poise and balance due to the facts pointed out by Advocate Dutta, which they could not refute. There was no question of apologies being offered by us or our counsels, since we have pointed out factual irregularities in procedures and submissions made by the governments,” the trio said.
