Centre moves plea in Delhi HC over order to publish EIA draft in 22 languages

New Delhi: The Centre has moved a plea in the Delhi high court seeking review of its order to publish the draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) in all the 22 languages in the Eight Schedule of the Constitution, saying official documents are required to be published only in Hindi and English. The law doesn’t require notifications to be published in local languages, it has contended. A bench of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan on Friday issued notice to the environmentalist on whose plea the high court issued the direction, and sought his response by September 23.

Appearing for the environment ministry, additional solicitor-general Chetan Sharma claimed the court was “misled” by the petitioner into passing the June 30 order, which extended till August 11 the date for comments and objections to the draft EIA. It also said the notification be published in all 22 languages within 10 days. The June 30 order came on a plea by environmental conservationist Vikrant Tongad.

The Centre had on July 28 moved an appeal in the Supreme Court over the high court order, but the apex court declined to entertain the plea.