Report on the economic impact of selected decisions of NITI Aayog
Recently, NITI Aayog has released a report on the economic impact of selected decisions of the Supreme Court of India and the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
Presented by NITI Aayog, this report has been prepared by the Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS). CUTS is a Jaipur-based policy research and advocacy group.
Key Findings of report-
- There has been a revenue loss of about Rs 8,000 crore between 2018 and 2021 due to 5 special orders of the Supreme Court and NGT related to environmental protection.
- Due to these 5 decisions about 75,000 people have been adversely affected and 16,000 people have lost their jobs.
- The ban on mining in Goa has resulted in loss of revenue to the Center and the state. Rs 668.39 crore was paid by mining companies as taxes. But governments have been deprived of this revenue due to restrictions.
- The closure of the project in Tamil Nadu has affected the income of those who lost their jobs. The monthly income of such people has come down by at least 50 per cent, while many have become unemployed.
Key recommendations-
- Economic impact analysis should be done by involving experts for resolution and decision making of financially sensitive matters. These experts may include economists, environmentalists and sociologists.
- The idea of cost-benefit analysis should be incorporated in the decision-making process.
- The authorities should also consider some qualitative indicators, which may not necessarily be quantitative.
National Green Tribunal – NGT
- The National Green Tribunal was established on 18 October 2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010.
- The main objective of setting up of NGT is to speedy settlement of environmental issues, thereby reducing the burden of litigation in the country’s courts.
- NGT is headquartered in Delhi, while the other four regional offices are located at Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai.
- As per the National Green Tribunal Act, it is mandatory for the NGT to settle the environmental issues that come to it within 6 months.
Structure of NGT
- The NGT consists of the Chairperson, Judicial Members, and Expert Members. They shall hold office for a term of three years or till he attains the age of sixty-five years (whichever is earlier), and shall not be eligible for reappointment.
- The Chairman is appointed by the Central Government in consultation with the Chief Justice of India.
Source – The Hindu