Pay before the event begins: NGT to Art of Living

New Delhi, March 11: A day after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) set a deadline for the Art of Living to pay a fine of Rs 5 crore over the organisation of World Cultural Festival, the NGT extended the deadline till Friday, Mar 11.

Earlier the NGT had set a strict deadline for the Art of Living to pay the fine by Thursday evening. However, since the organisation failed to do so, the deadline was extended.

NGT on Thursday said: "Art of Living has time till tomorrow [Friday] to pay Rs 5 crore in initial environmental compensation, and the law will take its own course if it fails to do so."

However, the tribunal has now agreed to hear a fresh petition by environmentalists to stop the event.

The NGT had cleared the decks for the three-day World Culture Festival to be organised on the flood plains of river Yamuna but also slapped a fine of Rs 5 crore on the Art of Living.

However, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar told NDTV that he would rather go to jail than pay the fine. Ravi Shankar said that he had not violated any rule and hence was not liable to pay any fine.

Ravi Shankar had said that no damage was done to the river or its ecosystem while preparing for the event. Prime Minister's office confirmed on Thursday that Modi will attend the event as scheduled.

OneIndia News