The appointment of two members of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to the Southern Bench of the Tribunal at Chennai has been notified..As per the notification dated November 15, Judicial Member, Justice K Ramakrishnan and Expert Member Saibal Dasgupta have been assigned to sit at the Chennai Bench of the NGT. With their appointment in this capacity, the Chennai Bench is expected to have regular sittings from next month onwards..As stated in the notification,.“In pursuance of directions contained in National Green Tribunal, Principal Bench Circular… dated 14.11.2019, it is informed that consequent upon the postings of Hon’ble Mr. Justice K. Ramakrishnan, Judicial Member and Hon’ble Mr. Saibal Dasgupta, Expert Member, the Southern Zone Bench, Chennai will become functional for regular sittings w.e.f. 02.12.2019.”.The Regional Benches of the NGT, including the Southern Bench, have been non-functional for the last two years given the absence of members. Cases before the Chennai Bench were being taken up through video-confercing by the Principal Bench at Delhi during this period..Justice K Ramakrishnan, a former judge of the Kerala High Court, was appointed as member of the NGT in October last year. Saibal Dasgupta, an IFS officer who formerly served as the additional director general of forests (forest conservation) was appointed earlier this year..The NGT has been functioning with eight members, including these two members. Apart from former Supreme Court judge, AK Goel, who heads the Tribunal as its Chairperson, the other members of the NGT are Judicial Members, Justice SP Wangdi and Justice Raghuvendra Singh Rathore and Expert Members Satyawan Singh Garbyal, Nagin Nanda and Siddhanta Das..Also read:.Woes of the National Green Tribunal: Are the recent appointments unconstitutional?.[Read the Notification dated November 15, 2019]
