Supreme Court contempt notices to Delhi, NCR states over pollution body vacancies

Calling it a sorry state of affairs, the Supreme Court on 8 May, Thursday chided governments of Delhi and adjoining states of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan for not filling vacancies in state pollution control boards.

A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan, therefore, issued contempt notices to the chief secretaries of Delhi, UP, Haryana and Rajasthan over the non-compliance of its August 2024 order asking them to fill the vacancies by 30 April this year.

The top court pointed out the presence of 55 per cent vacant posts in the Delhi pollution control committee and said it was shocking that the body was “virtually defunct”.

Issuing notices, the apex court ordered the officials to explain why shouldn’t they be punished under Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 for the non-compliance.

While the Delhi chief secretary was directed to personally appear before court on 19 May, chief secretaries of other states were ordered to virtually appear on 18 July.