NGT order: MC to take legal opinion

BATHINDA: The Municipal Corporation of Bathinda (MCB) has planned to take legal opinion for future course of action against JITF Company after the National Green Tribunal (NGT), New Delhi, disposed of the solid waste management plant case stating that issues related to service provider and local bodies’ dispute should be raised at appropriate forum in accordance with the law.

The solid waste management plant in Bathinda. File photo

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, October 11

The Municipal Corporation of Bathinda (MCB) has planned to take legal opinion for future course of action against JITF Company after the National Green Tribunal (NGT), New Delhi, disposed of the solid waste management plant case stating that issues related to service provider and local bodies’ dispute should be raised at appropriate forum in accordance with the law.

MCB XEN Sandeep Gupta said, “We got the NGT order’s copy just a day earlier. Now, we will take legal opinion about what further action needs to be taken in the case.”

Mayor Balwant Rai Nath said, “We will try all legal options available as JITF Company has to work as per the agreement, but they had left the door-to-door garbage collection work midway, violating the agreement signed with the MCB. Our counsels are working on it and we would take further action as per the law in the coming days.”

He said, “Residents would not be affected as we are purchasing 46 new vehicles for the garbage collection work in the city.”

Earlier, the MCB had filed an appeal against JITF Company in the NGT when the company announced to suspend the door-to-door garbage collection work in the city.

In the complaint, the MCB has stated that it had signed a 25-year service pact with the company. As per the agreement, the company has to lift around 350 metric tonne garbage from Bathinda and nearby 18 municipal councils and reprocess and convert it into fertiliser and RDF.

In the NGT order, it has been further stated that the matter before the tribunal was confined to the validity of environmental clearance, which stood settled.

Subsequently, some of the incidental issues about functioning of the project of the solid waste management were also taken up.

“At this stage, we do not consider necessary to pass any further order on disputes relating to the service provider and the local bodies. Such issues can be sent to any appropriate forum in accordance with the law. The proceedings will stand closed,” the judgment said.