The litigant contends that state government officials colluded with the Mumbai developer to illegally grant permission for a 2,500-MW plant.
Even as the environment controversy over the Lavasa project rages, another one is brewing near Pune. This involves Mumbai’s leading developer, Niranjan Hiranandani, two of his company’s directors and three employees, for fraudulently getting environment clearance from state government officials for a 2,500-MW power project in Talegaon.
In an order passed by RD Hazare, judicial magistrate first class at Wadgaon, in Maval taluka, the court has taken cognisance of a complaint filed by the Navlakh Umbre Paryavaran Parisar Vikas Sangh, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), alleging that the state environment authorities “in collusion and connivance” with the Hiranandanis have granted illegal clearance to the company’s power project without “possessing the requisite jurisdiction to do so”.
In the suit, the Sangh has accused Hiranandani’s company of carrying out “large-scale devastation of the area, its topography and the river system on the strength of the illegal clearance”. As per the complaint filed by the Sangh, Hindustan Electricity Generation Company Pvt Ltd proposed to set up the project in Navlakh Umbre village in Maval.
The magistrate has directed the Hiranandanis, along with three of their managers and secretaries, to appear before the court on February 22 and face criminal prosecution.
The court is yet to give an order on the other accused, since they are government officials and requires sanction for prosecution from the government.
The company was required to withdraw its earlier application before the Seac and file a comprehensive application before the Union ministry of environment and forests seeking environmental clearance for its entire power project of 2,500 MW.
However, the company chose to file its final environment impact assessment report before the Seac on April 15 last year. The Seac chose to recommend its case for grant of environmental clearance the very next day.
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