Munmun Kaur
Published On: January 24, 2022 at 11:40 IST
Recently, the Supreme Court set aside an Order passed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directing compensation of Rs. 20 Lakh to the heirs of the victims of a firecracker factory blast in Tamil Nadu’s Virudhunagar district that took place on February 12, 2021 in which 19 workers were killed.
A Bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar and Dinesh Maheshwari, hearing an Appeal filed by Tamil Nadu Fireworks and Amorces Manufacturers Association, observed that the said Order was passed ex-parte. Further, the Bench observed that in the interest of justice, it is appropriate to set aside the impugned Judgment and Order and relegate the parties before the National Green Tribunal for reconsideration of the entire matter afresh after giving an opportunity to the parties concerned, including the appellants, and to pass appropriate Orders in accordance with the Law.
The Apex Court directed the parties to appear before the tribunal on February 14, 2022, and the NGT was directed to proceed with the matter on that day or assign a suitable date for hearing, as may be convenient to it.
Earlier, The NGT had formed an eight-member Committee including former High Court Judge Justice K Kannan and representatives of the Union Environment Ministry, and directed it to submit a report on the firecracker factory blast in Tamil Nadu’s Virudhunagar district.
NGT had also directed the State Legal Services Authority to provide legal aid to ensure that payment is made to genuine heirs of the deceased and to the injured without any delays.