Congress, BJP join hands to oppose NGT order on Shimla

The National Green Tribunal.

Cutting across party lines, elected councillors of Shimla Municipal Corporation, both from BJP and Congress, on Wednesday forced the municipal body to adopt a resolution against the recent NGT order banning constructions Shimla and stopping regularisation of illegal buildings.

At a monthly meeting of the SMC, which Mayor Kusum Sadret presided over, councillors said the NGT judgment was too harsh and impractical. The ground realities relating to existing constructions vis-a-vis problems faced by people did not warrant imposition of strict norms for two-storey buildings with attic, besides imposition of high penalties, they said.

So far, only leftist organisations had been opposing the NGT order, which said Shimla’s carrying capacity had already been exceeded. The NGT order was passed after a long struggle waged by Yogendra Mohan Sengupta from Shimla, who had raised questions on haphazard growth in Shimla which falls in the seismic zone.

In the SMC meeting, BJP and Congress councillors showed a rare display of unity while urging the state government to file a review petition in the NGT. Confirming this, Municipal Commissioner G C Negi said, “A proposal was passed by the MC House asking for filing of a review petition in the NGT.”