BENGALURU: The high court has said the National Highways Authority of India’s statement that “the Environmental Protection Act has been passed by the Parliament at the instance of foreign powers” is shocking.
The court on Monday directed the NHAI chairman to nominate a senior officer to inquire and come clean on the matter. A division bench headed by chief justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka was hearing a PIL filed by United Conservation Movement and Charitable Trust (Bengaluru), which had challenged the exemption granted by the ministry of environment, forest and climate change on expanding national highways (up to 100km) from the requirement of environmental impact assessment (EIA).
In the statement of objections filed by NHAI deputy general manager (technical) RB Pekam, there were references to “foreign powers” behind the Environment Protection Act. The bench pointed out it has been stated that there are many organisations in India such as Amnesty International which are actively involved in challenging government policies/ notifications and are indulging in anti-national activities. The NHAI official said “there are many NGOs receiving money from foreign sources and church funds in contravention of laws”.
The official said “it is not known whether the petitioner, being an NGO, is receiving any such funds from abroad in contravention of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act-2010, and whether they are cleared by the ministry of home affairs.”
