Environment Ministry to disband its apex Appellate Authority

New Delhi, Feb 9 (UNI) The Ministry of Environment and Forests has decided to repeal the National Environment Appellate Authority after the Finance Ministry questioned its usefulness and efficacy.

The Authority will be replaced by a National Tribunal and Divisional Environment Courts as part of the set up, sources in the Environment Ministry told UNI.

A draft proposal has been sent to the Law Ministry and will be placed before the Cabinet after clearance from there.

A bill on creation of the new national and division-level environment appellate authorities would be introduced in the budget session of Parliament if the Cabinet gives its nod to the proposal, the sources said.

The National Environment Appellate Authority has been functioning since 1997, but during the ten years of its existence, it has not received many cases.

It had been created for listening to grievances relating to the projects cleared by the Ministry.

''Now the new tribunal proposed would have a wider scope not restricted just to the projects cleared. It will deal with environment related grievances in a holistic manner,'' a senior official said.

Besides, the new legislation would create state-level courts which was also a long-felt need, he said.

Sources said the Appellate authority was being repealed and replaced by a more powerful tribunal because in recent years the number of cases relating to environmental grievances has been increasing.

UNI