After the National
Green Tribunal (NGT) dismissed a plea of The Art of Living (AOL) Foundation
seeking to furnish a bank guarantee of the balance compensation amount of the
environmental compensation levied on them for damage to the Yamuna floodplains
during the World Culture Festival (WCF) held in March, the foundation said they
found the verdict unjust and after reviewing the order they would go to the
Supreme Court.
The NGT
also directed AOL to pay the remaining Rs 4.75 crores as environment
compensation.
"We
find the verdict unjust and, if need be, after reviewing the order we will go
to the Supreme
Court. We have not violated any law or done any wrong," said AOL.
"The
Art of Living has never said that we don't have funds. We were ready and
willing to give a bank guarantee which served the purpose, but our application
has been wrongly dismissed. We will test the legality and see how we can
correct the judgement," said the foundation in a statement.
"We
don't agree with the observations of the Tribunal. The Art of Living has
neither polluted air or water or earth. We have left the WCF site in a better
condition than what we had got. We have an extensive repertoire for environment
work and find these allegations unacceptable," it further said.
No
scientific assessment of the site has yet been done, claimed AOL, adding:
"On a brief visual inspection, allegations have been made and we have been
asked to compensate an amount arrived at arbitrarily. The damage has not even
been assessed. We are, therefore, not happy and will consider all
options."
We would
like to point out that what a section of media is enthusiastically calling a
fine is not a fine but a compensation deposit, it added.
On Monday,
the NGT had issued notice to petitioners - environmentalist Manoj Misra, the Delhi
Development Authority (DDA) and other respondents - on a plea filed by The
Art of Living Foundation, seeking reconstitution of principal expert committee
to examine the alleged impact of the World Culture Festival on the Yamuna
floodplains.
The
foundation filed an application to reconstitute an independent and an unbiased
expert committee to examine the allegations. The foundation alleged, "The
committee has pre-judged the issue and are under self-imposed pressure to
justify that figure, creating a bias for itself."
"The
Art of Living objects to the existing committee comprising Brij Gopal, Prof.
Gosain, C.R. Babu and headed by Sashi Shekhar, who arrived at an arbitrary
figure of Rs. 120 crore based on a very brief 'visual' assessment without
following a scientific process," the foundation said in a statement.
The court,
which heard the preliminary arguments to change the committee, issued notice to
Mishra, the other petitioners as well as the respondents. The court will
tomorrow consider the request for another independent body to simultaneously
assess the site pending the final disposal of the application.
On March
9, the NGT had refused to prohibit the World
Culture Festival on the bank of Yamuna, but slapped a fine of Rs. 5 crore
on the foundation for damaging biodiversity of the ecologically sensitive
Yamuna floodplains.
On May10,
the foundation had issued a clarification over a NGT notice to its founder Ravi
Shankar for his alleged remarks against the green panel, saying the allegations
against the spiritual leader were 'completely false' and based merely on 'newspaper
reports'.
The NGT
issued a notice to Ravi Shankar for his alleged remarks that the fine imposed
by the green panel for organising an event on banks f river Yamuna was
politically motivated.
"At
the NGT proceedings, it was specifically pointed out by The Art of Living
lawyers that applications filed by Anand Arya and Misra were based merely on
news paper reports and that the tribunal ought not to entertain the same,"
the Art of Living statement said.
"It
was also clarified by The Art of Living that the allegations about Sri Sri Ravi
Shankar at the NGT was misconceived since the video of the speech was available
with Art Of Living and demonstrate that the allegation was completely
false," it added.
The Art
of Living further said that it would respond to NGT's notice and warned the
complainant of strict action if allegations are found without credible basis.
"Court
in fact warned Misra that if he is not able to prove his allegation, he will be
penalised," the statement added.
The NGT in
a notice to Ravishankar had asked why should not contempt of court proceedings
be initiated against him and has directed him to file a reply to it latest by
May 25.
Source: ANI
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