SC extends tenure of judicial member of National Green Tribunal

The Supreme Court on Monday extended the tenure of a judicial member of the central zone bench of the National Green Tribunal in Bhopal.

Judicial Member Justice S K Singh was scheduled to retire on Monday.

A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala took note of the submission made by additional solicitor general Balbir Singh that steps have been initiated for the selection of judicial members.

The .ASG told the apex court an advertisement was published in the national dailies on December 16 inviting applications. Section 4 (1) of the NGT Act, 2010 provides that the tribunal shall consist of not less than 10 and a maximum of 20 full-time judicial members and the same number of expert members, the bench said.

“Pending further orders, we direct, until the process of selection of judicial members is completed and new judicial members take charge, Justice SK Singh shall continue to remain in office, subject to his consent for continuance,” the bench said.

A copy of the order shall be communicated immediately to the Registrar of the NGT to obviate any interruption in the holding of office by Justice Singh, the bench said. The apex court had earlier asked for speeding up the process of filling up the vacancies in the National Green Tribunal to address the “piquant situation” created due to the reduced working strength of the panel.