Before SC stepped in, Ministry was told to let Law Commission decide future of green committee, Pg1

Key Highlights:

• The Cabinet Secretariat advised the Environment Ministry to consult the Law Commission on the future of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC).
• The CEC, a statutory body since 2023, advises the Supreme Court on environmental issues.
• The National Green Tribunal (NGT) allowed applications related to the Great Nicobar project report.
• The NGT rejected applications seeking the full disclosure of the High-Powered Committee (HPC) report on the Great Nicobar project, citing national security concerns.

Detailed Insights:

• The Cabinet Secretariat suggested that the NGT's stability and expertise might create redundancy with the CEC, potentially causing jurisdictional delays.
• The CEC was originally established in 2002 by the Supreme Court to provide expert advice on environmental and forest-related matters.
• The High-Powered Committee (HPC) was formed in April 2023 by the NGT to address concerns about the Great Nicobar project's environmental impact.
• The Great Nicobar project, costing Rs 81,000 crore, includes a transshipment port, international airport and power plant, impacting 166 sq km of land.
• The NGT considered only the parts of the HPC report submitted on record, excluding confidential sections due to national security concerns and lack of access for the petitioner.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Central Empowered Committee (CEC): A body advising the Supreme Court on environmental issues.
• National Green Tribunal (NGT): A tribunal handling environmental disputes.
• High-Powered Committee (HPC): A committee formed to investigate specific projects' environmental impacts.