HC pulls up Pharma co for violating court orders, directs it to plant 33,000 more saplings

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Wednesday termed as "a racket" the submission of a private company, directed to plant 1.4 lakh saplings worth Rs 80 lakh in the central ridge here, that it has exhausted the amount in planting just 14,800 saplings and ordered it to file expenses.

The high court had in March imposed a cost of Rs 80 lakh on Venkatanarayana Active Ingredients Pvt Ltd, formerly Nutra Specialities Pvt Ltd, for breach of its order not to manufacture and sell diabetes medication under the brand names used by pharma major Merck Sharp and Dohme (MSD).

"You had Rs 80 lakh. Where has the money gone? It is a racket. Prima facie the submission is unacceptable," Justice Najmi Waziri said and directed the company to file an affidavit indicating amount it has spent in procuring and planting 14,800 saplings.

The court also said that the company on May 30 had undertaken to plant 30,000 saplings by June 15, but has not complied with it till date.

It directed the company to ensure 33,000 saplings are planted in the ridge area within two weeks.

Directions were also issued to the Ridge Management Board (RMB), which has intervened in the matter to assist the court, to hold a meeting with senior officials of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the North Delhi Municipal Corporation to work out a plan for planting 50,000 saplings in the land owned by these bodies in the ridge area.

The order was issued after the RMB, represented by senior advocate Rajiv Dutta and advocate Aditya Prasad, said that the three authorities -- CPWD, DDA and the corporation -- have agreed to plant a total of 5,700 saplings in the 125 hectares of ridge land under their control.

Terming the numbers as "paltry, insignificant and shocking", the court directed RMB to hold the meeting on July 30 and said that it "shall be promptly attended" by senior officials of the authorities.

RMB was also asked to find out from DDA whether any land was available with it in the Yamuna flood plain which can be used for afforestation.

During the hearing, the court also said it would be issuing bailable warrants against all those individuals who have neither complied with its directions to plant trees nor responded to the notices issued in this regard by the forest department.

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A detailed order of the proceedings is awaited.

During the hearing, the forest department, represented by Delhi government standing counsel Rahul Mehra, told the court that its direction to create a water-body in the ridge area has been complied with.

The department told the court that it would be creating more water bodies there.

Terming the achievement as a "millenial intervention" the court said it would result in return of the local flora and fauna of the area in the next one year.