SC recalls its ruling on green nods

THESE INCLUDED construction of hospitals/medical colleges/airports including the 962-bedAIIMS Medical College and Hospital in Odisha, and the greenfield airport in Vijayanagar in Karnataka. There were also common effluent treatment plants, awaiting post facto clearance.

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Writing for the majority, CJI Gavai said if the May 16 judgment “is not recalled, it will result in demolition of various buildings/projects constructed out of public exchequer to the tune of nearly $20,000 crore”. He asked “whether it would be in the public interest to demolish all such projects and permit the money spent from the pocket of the public exchequer to go in the dustbin” and whether demolishing and constructing them again “would be in the larger public interest or would in fact be counterproductive to the public interest”.

The CJI said such a step, “rather than being in public interest would result in throwing the valuable public resources in the dustbin”.