After paying Rs. 25 lakhs, Art of Living wants to give a bank guarantee rather than pay the balance to NGT

AOL is once again defaulting on its obligation

April 4, 2016

AOL moving an application for not paying 4.75 Crore [$ 0.71 Million] for causing damage to Yamuna flood plain

[dropcap color=”#008040″ boxed=”yes” boxed_radius=”8px” class=”” id=””]F[/dropcap]or causing damage to the Yamuna floodplain by organising a festival there, that The Art of Living (AOL) Foundation is seeking the National Green Tribunal’s permission to submit a bank guarantee instead of paying Cash of Rs. 4.75 Crore [$0.71 Million] as environmental compensation.

In Delhi “To bring it to account for the damage it caused to the Yamuna floodplains it is another attempt by Sri Sri Ravishankar’s AOL to frustrate the efforts” described the environmentalist.

On Monday the next hearing of the case by National Green Tribunal (NGT) has been scheduled which was based on complaints that AOL, who violated environmental laws by organising the World Culture Festival on the Yamuna floodplain from March 11 to 13.

Before the start of the event on March 9 NGT had imposed on AOL to Pay Rs. 5 Crore [$0.75Million] as environmental compensation.

“After AOL failed to pay up, the tribunal relaxed that order on March 11 by allowing it to pay Rs.25 lakh [$ 37,758] immediately — which the foundation did — and the remainder in three weeks’ time.

[dropcap color=”#008040″ boxed=”yes” boxed_radius=”8px” class=”” id=””]I[/dropcap]n a “miscellaneous application” filed on Friday at the NGT, the AOL sought permission to submit a bank guarantee instead of paying Rs.4.75 crore [$0.71 Million].

The AOL also sought permission to assist the NGT to determine if any damage has happened on the ground as a result of the World Culture Festival.

Environmentalist Manoj Misra, who had first approached NGT against the festival, said the AOL is once again defaulting on its obligation by moving such an application.

“By yet again defaulting on not making the payment of Rs.4.75 crore [$0.71Million] within the time limit and seeking its extension (on the very last day on April 1) to submit only a bank guarantee is in contravention of not only the NGT direction dated March 11, 2016 but also its own undertaking given to the NGT in the matter,” said Misra.

It is a brazen attempt to further frustrate the efforts of the NGT to bring AOL to account for what it has done in the Yamuna floodplain, he said.

“”That the floodplain at the site has been devastated is for the whole world to see and has been validated by a number of river experts. This fact has already been adjudicated by the NGT and resultantly the AOL and the relevant government agencies have been faulted and fined and disciplined by the NGT,” Misra added.

Notes:
1. IANS
2. The conversion rate used in this article is 1 US Dollar = 66.53 Rupees.