E-Paper
Re-confirm release of Narora water
Hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) petition, the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday asked chief standing counsel CB Yadav, representing the state government, to re-confirm whether water from Narora barrage was being released in the Ganga as per the court?s orders. It may be recalled that on the earlier directive of the court, the state government had released 450 cusecs of water from Narora Barrage in Ganga for Magh Mela in Allahabad.
Hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) petition, the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday asked chief standing counsel CB Yadav, representing the state government, to re-confirm whether water from Narora barrage was being released in the Ganga as per the court’s orders.
It may be recalled that on the earlier directive of the court, the state government had released 450 cusecs of water from Narora Barrage in Ganga for Magh Mela in Allahabad.
This order was passed by a division bench comprising Chief Justice AN Ray and Justice Ashok Bhushan on a PIL filed by Hari Chetan Brahmachariji Mahraj. In the PIL, it was alleged that there was pollution and scarcity of water in the Ganga at Magh Mela, where lakhs of pilgrims had congregated to take a holy dip in the Sangam.
At one stage, the chief secretary of Uttar Pradesh had filed an affidavit before the High Court stating the release of 450 cusecs of water from Narora Barrage in Ganga for Magh Mela. At another stage, the chief authority of Narora Barrage had filed an affidavit stating the release of 450 cusecs of water from the barrage.
Earlier, on February 2, 2006, this court had directed the state government to continue with discharge of 450 cusecs of water from Narora Barrage into the Ganga as assured earlier.
The court fixed February 10 for the next hearing.
Atique’s plea dismissed: The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday dismissed a special appeal filed by Samajwadi Party MP Atique Ahmad challenging the order of the single judge, by which a directive for CBI probe was issued in connection with the alleged exercise of influence by some politicians in the bidding process of Rajendra Steel Company, Kanpur.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Syed Rafat Alam and Justice Sudhir Agrawal said that special appeal was not maintainable as in the order of the single judge, the name of Atique Ahmad had not been mentioned.
Earlier the single judge of this court had directed CBI probe following a complaint that in the bidding process of the units of Rajendra Steel Company, which was being done by the High Court’s order by the official liquidator, an MP and some MLAs used undue influence.
