Attach salaries of SEs of MC, Ludhiana Improvement Trust: Court

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 13

In a case pertaining to the execution of NGT orders, the local Court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) Harsimranjit Singh has ordered to attach the salaries of Superintending Engineer of the Ludhiana Improvement Trust Buta Ram and MC’s Superintending Engineer Rahul Gagneja.

The hearing in regard to the removal of concrete around trees was held in court on May 7. The court has also issued a show-cause notice to the LIT and MC for violating the NGT orders.

According to the court orders, Buta Ram and Rahul Gagneja have not come for hearing, nor have they filed any status report regarding compliance of the order of the NGT. The court said the salaries of Buta Ram and Rahul Gagneja are ordered to be attached and necessary intimation in this regard be sent to the quarters concerned. The court has also directed the duo to appear in person during the next hearing and file a status report.

The compliance report filed by the DFO has been taken on record in the court. During the hearing, petitioner Kapil Arora filed an application seeking initiation of a contempt petition against Pardeep Kumar Sabharwal, the then MC Commissioner, MC’s Superintending Engineer Rahul Gagneja and LIT’s SE Buta Ram. He alleged that the LIT and MC are not complying with the directions of the NGT as interlocking tiles are still being fixed around the trees.

Arora in his application mentioned the specific locations, supported with photographs, wherein these respondents are still fixing interlocking titles around the bases of trees. The court said it is thus quite evident that respondent LIT and MC are knowingly and deliberately defying the orders of the court. The court then directed that a show-cause notice be issued to the LIT and MC seeking their explanation as to why action be not initiated against them for contumaciously violating the direction of the NGT.

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