"Did you read our orders before going to the inspection site. You people have not been sincere which has given a bad impression before us. We rely on you people for deciding a case and you do not discharge your duty properly.
"We are pained that we had to request you to come here. Officers of your rank need not be troubled. We didn't write a 108-page judgement to be made a mockery of....The tribunal had very high expectations from the committee constituted of such senior officers and who are experts in their respective fields," a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said.
Cracking the whip on two companies Mantri Techzone Pvt Ltd and Core Mind Software and Services Pvt Ltd in Bengaluru, the tribunal had imposed Rs 117.35 crore and Rs 22.5 crore as damages respectively for carrying out illegal construction and degrading the environment.
A committee comprised an Advisor in MoEF dealing with the subject of wetlands, CEO of Karnataka Lake Development Authority, Chief Town Planner of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Chairman of State Environment Appraisal Committee (SEAC) which had recommended environment clearance to the projects.
The tribunal took strong exception to the report and criticised the committee for non-compliance of the its directions.
"The High Powered Committee firstly did not file the report within the stipulated time and now when the report has been filed before the tribunal, we have no hesitation in observing that the report does not comply with the directions of the tribunal in its true spirit and substance," the bench said.