Andhra Pradesh High Court - Amravati
M/S Eluru Jute Mills Private Limited vs The Ministry Of Environment, on 6 May, 2025
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IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT /
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TUESDAY, THE SIXTH DAY OF MAY
TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY FIVE
.,i:PRESENT:
THE HONOURABLE-SR! JUSTICE RAVI NATH TILHARI
AND
THE HONOURABLE SRl.JUSTICE MAHESWARA RAO KUNCH EAM;7
WRIT PETITEON NO: 10462 OF 2025
tlBetwee n :
.,;M/s Eluru Jute Mills Private Limjled, Rep .by its authorised person siddinen'!'
Srinivas rao R/o D.No. 3-3-22.5c, 'Pattabipuram Main Road, Guntur Town and
Distrl-ct - 522006.
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u.Petjtjoner
I.'-I AND
1. The Ministry of Envir6hm6<ht,+ Forest and climate Change Government
of lndI'a, rep. by the Secretary, lndira paryavaran Bhawan Jorbagh
Road, New DelhI--110 COS lNDIA.
2. The State Level Envir6r;m-6n`tal Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA),
Andhra Pradesh, Ministry of Environment, Forest and CIimate Change
(MoEF and CC), 3rd Floor,+`;,AP MARKFED Building, APIIC Colony Road,I
Gurunanak Colony, Autdriag`ar, Vijayawada-520007.
3. The Andhra Pradesh PoI!u±!-on Control Board Rep by its Member
Secretary, YSR Pryavaran' Bhavan, APIIC Colony Road, Gurunanak
Colony, Autonagar, vI'jayaWada- 520007,.
\ 4. The Guntur MuncipaI Co`rporation, Rep by its Commissioner, opposite;
Gandhi Park, Jinna Tower`€Center Guntur, Guntur DI-Strict -522003.
5. The District Collector, GunturTown and Guntur District -522004
...Respondents
petition under Article 226 tor-the Constitution of India praying that in the E=
circumstances stated I-n the affidav`it filed therewith, the High Court may be
pleased to issue an order or a''di£ection or a writ, more one I-n the nature of
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Writ of Mandamus, setting aside the Order No. SEIAA/AP/GNT_137/2015_
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2766_205 dated 27-02-2025` of the AP State Level Environmental Impact
Ass,essment Authority (SEIAA)3,. viJ-ayaWada, (2nd Respondent) against the
Petitioner, as arbitrary, illegaI! .against the Principles of Natural Justice, ultra
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vires, and unconstitu{ional and', :±o consequentially set aside the Order No.
SEIAA/AP/GNT-137/2015-2766-205 dated 27-02-2025 of the 2nd Respondent
AP SEIAA, Vijayawada. ,,i
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IANO: 1 OF2025
petition under Section 15'1 of CPC is filed praying that in the
circumstances stated in the affidavit filed in support of the petI'tiOn, the High
court may be pleased to susP6n:a the order No. SEIAA/AP/GNT_137/2015j
2766_205 dated 27-02-2025`,I of the 2nd Respondent AP State Level
Environmental Impact AsseSSm'en{ `-AuthorI|ty (SEIAA), Vijayawada, Pending^
disposal of WP 10462 of 2025-, ori'`the file of the High Court.
The Petition coming Oh ~fOr hearing, upon Perusing the Petition and the
affidavit filed in support there-Of`v.and upon hearing the arguments of SRI I
SREEDHAR Advocate for the'-'Petitioner, and of SRI PASALA PONNA RAO,
DEPUTY SOLICITOR GENERAL OF INDIA, for the Respondent Nos, 1 & 2,:
and of SRI Y.SOMARAJU, Standihg' Counsel for the Respondent No.3, and of
SRI ASC BOSE, Standing Coun-seFfor the Respondent No.4, and of GP FOR-
REVENUE, for the Responderfe-N'6.5,-the Court made the following
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ORDER:
Heard Sri K.SreedharJ learned COunSel for the Petitioner, Ms.S.Pranathi, learned Spe6iai-`Government pleader for respondentl Nosl2, 4 & 5. `-I..> 1 2[ This writ petjticjm h'aS'been filed by the petitioner, M/s| EIuru Jute Mi[]s Private Limited, laS represented by its authorized person siddineni sr[-nivasa Rao. Ms. A`numo[u Jyothi Ratna, Advocate appears _r^ •{.:_< + and submits that she has_in;tructions from M/s. EIuru Jute lVIiIIs PrI-Vale . i , .-I.....
.L%;I a-...¥..i .i Limited through its Director,Llha`t-Sri Siddjneni Srinjvasa Rao, filing the I.., ulrjt petition representing hjin;elf as authorized person, filed the present writ petition on behalf of M/s`. Eluru Jute Mills Private Limited. In response, sri I.Sreedhar, , `reamed counsel for the petitioner, submits that M/s. E]uru Jute Mil[s` Private Limited, executed a Development Agreement|cum-Irrevocable denera[ power of Attorney (DAIGPA) in favour of M/s. Sri Bajrang Jute Mills Private Limited (also referred to as the Developer/BUIPL), and that BUIPL has authorized the petitioner to file the writ petition. A copy of the authorization has also been annexed. He submits that the apprp`pr.ia€Je averments in this regard have been inade I-n the affidavit in Sirppo_rt of the wrI-I Petition. The petitioner i, .:.
undertakes to place the` 66`pyJ of DA[GPA on affidavI-I On reCOrd| Ms.Anumolu Jyothj Ratna subinits that an appropriate applI-CatiOn in 1:hj§ regard shall be filed.
3. On 23.04.2025, the`-fo!Iowjng orderwas passed :
¢¢Heard Sri K.Sieed[har9 learned COunSeZ for the Petitioner, Sri Yetifsd&fl- Soma Raju9 learned Standing CounseZ for the `re§p®rtiderits 2 and 3, Sri A.a.a.Bose, lecLrned Standing 'c`edgisel for the 4th resportdeut and Ms®K.vyayeswcul9 S:` 'Sirerrned Ass€stan± Government Pleadler for Reveirha2a;ifi&i- the 5th respondeltt. I `tu
2. Learned coqtift=iis for the respondeIT±S Pray for posting the maS±er in the ne,ct week, for ohiat;ing €nstr"cflons as ' drfeS```±gubmit±ing that the learned Advoccl;±e General girtIl rippear in this case. '`. < A I--
3. Lecurned c6irri€=z`for the pctittoner submits that
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the petitioner ibalg -_^riS±nded Bnvironmeutal clearance yJa...,`!`:,-r , a -
by the 2nd resp8rfedagrt+state LeveZ Ertvironmeutal Impact AssesbsT=±¢;, Authorirty(SEIAA), Andhra ` -~ I <
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Pradesh, for constra€fion of residenflal flats. The Std responderit-Andh;a Pradesh pouurflon cort±rol Board (in short €the:::ribhi*dy and its aur±horities raised •.`F,-.
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objecflon9 that ck€S`-aOds€ruouon couid not be rclised without ohiainind-®£fri:a: permission from the Board. Being aggrieved, €fi3 petitioner filed ,w.p.No.2958 of 2O25, u,hick €s p&ieaing in this court, in which a question as to whether there €s still requirement to obtain Consert± to Esfabtish (in short cc.I.E9) from the Board cnd couute; has been invited. Ilo further submits that thef :£±id writ petition was ftled on
31.O1.2025> in ir-fri5+fe'the interim order was passed on o5.O3.2O25, =ifeif_a€± to the following conctitious®.
"i) Th± corisiF;riCtiOn work in the Subject matter prdie€r shall be carried on as per the Buildirfeg '® Permit Order dated I,.-i:`:--=± I-_-`_ 19.06.2024.; `=-..`
ii) The coris{;E§-itiOn SO Carried out shall be at the risk of+`-the petitioner and no equitt&§£'sisal[ be claimed, in the event of any adverS& orders with regard to violation 1`':af`3:':'`FC ` or other statutory provi sioris-:I;-: |
iii) The-+Satitioner shall also be responsible:iti5 inake good the loss a caused to ih; purchasers of the flats, in case of statutory violations etc. if any."
4. Learned counsez --Further subndts that by order ` ri dated 27.O2.2025;-' giiris End responde"±- SEIAA has / H kept the E"rironmerutal ClearcLnCe grCm±ed bg it in abeyance urteIl fur£hier orders.
5. Challenging `the-tLorder dcL;led 27.O2.2O25, the present writ peanbri €s ftled.
6. Learned counsel-fo* the petitioner challenges the order dated 27.O2®2'O25 malrdy on the ground that rro notice was €s=ireri5to the pctitloner aJ:forded. So, it was not cxppropriate to keep the Ertviroruneutal ClecLrernCe €n aPeHCunCe u,ithOut fouOWtng the principles of ner±itTdi justice. He subm;its that after receipt of the o;d6r bn ll.O3.2O25, the pctmoner has submitted `\,€giv= represerutatton/response on
21.b3.2O25.
7. Post the matlerlon `29.o4.2O25.
8. I,earned couns6.is jfibr the resportdeuts sham obtcin 3 J,,T'' instructions, incirihg on the poirits of arguments crdvanced bg tairiri6d'' -counsel for the petitioner i.e. opportunitg of heti*is before pc£ssing order dated 27.12.2O25 and ch=-date of service of the order on `t _`_. *i-L the petifloner. 9'
4. Learned counse!'-for the petitioner submits that, after the order dated 23.04.2025 of thi,s Court, the 2nd respondent-State Level Environmental Impact Assesstrieht Authority (SLEIAA), issued a Show Cause Notice dated 1.05|2025 ``cto. th.e petitioner as to why action should not be ini1:iated for the all,eged|,Violations of 1:he Environmental C]earance y (EC) conditions, granting a p.er.i,od of 15 days time 1:o file a response. The petitioner intends to submit, ±h6 response within the stipulated time, and the SLE[AA may thereafter p`ass a-I.ina[ order.
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5. Ms. S| Pranathj;.-Special Government Pleader for respondent
-r' ` Mos.2, 4 & 5, does not -dispqte' the issuance of the Show Cause Notice, but. submits that after thet,im`pugned order dated 27.02.2025, the petitioner submitted a representation dated 21.03.2025, and that will be considered and there is no need of any other reply from the petitioner, which contention has been-opposed by the :,petitionerJs counsel, submitting that after show Cause Notice, the petitioner shall file the reSPOnSel
6. The impugned order dated 27|02.2025 was passed without any opportunity of hearing|,..?j^ow the 2nd respondent has issued Show Cause Notice, dated 01.05x`2fO25,.granting time to the petitioner to file a response. The petitioner is,ready to submit the response in light of the contents of 1:he Show Cause N.®tjcel So,1:he petitioner Shall file response to the show cause Notice and the 2nd respondent shall considering the response, proceed to pass Order:in accordance WI-th laWI
7. Additionally, liberty is also granted to the Director of M/s. EIuru Jute Mills Private LI-mited, represented by Ms. Anumolu Jyothi Ratna, to avail the opportuhiiytry=,9f filing his response, before the SLEIAA;
?ither persona[[y or throu_.gJ.It ;rtyis. authorized person, If the liberty I-s sQ availed, his reply shall also b,e`;d.qu!y`considered by respondent No.2.
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8. The impugned :e®ide-r dated 27.02.2025 shall remain I I..>' i.`_.-/-I abeyance which shall abide` by-€h; outcome of the order to be passed the 2nd respondent. ` !`-L //
9. List on 10.07.2025.
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SD/I SK. MD[ RAF]-
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ASSISTANT R TRAR
'y` -I:`: -i lEF€UE COPY I I
I-i 3t1+1.- SECTION OFFICER
To]
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1. The Secretary, MinI'Stry 6f Environment, Forest and climate change
Government of India, lngira paryavaran Bhawan Jorbagh Road, New
DelhI'-110 003 INDIA_.` ,:`l`
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2. The State Level Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIM), Andhra pradesh, Ministry`of Environment, Forest and climate change (MoEF and cc), 3rd FIo6r, AP MARKFED BujldI|ng, APIIC Colony Road, Gurunanak colony, Autonagar, vjjayawada-520007.
3. The Member secretary, Andhra pradesh pollution Control Board, ysR pryavaran Bhavan, APl!C Colony Road, Gurunanak colony, Autonagar, Vjjayawada- 520007.i
4. The commissioner, Guhiur `MunI'CiPal CorporatI|On, OpposI'te GandhI| park, JI-nna Tower center .Guntur, Guntur Dl'strict -522OO3.
5. The District collector, ,Guntur Town and Guntur Distrl'ct - 522004 (Addressees 1 to 5 by'JR-PAID)
6. One CC to sRl. T SREEDHAR Advocate [opuc]
7. One cc to SRI PASALA`PONNA RAO, DEPUTY SOLICITOR GENERAL OF INDIA [OPU`q
8. One cc to SRI Y.SOMARAJU, StandI-ng Counsel [opuc]
9. One cc to SRI ASC BOSE, Standing counsel [OPUC]
10. Two cos to GP FOR<REVENUE, HI-gh Court ofAndhra pradesh [ouT] ll. Two spare copies 'c PSR E= |? :L r` I ` \'\ ` ~/ HIGH COURT DATED : 06/05/2025 NOTE: LIST ON 10.07.2025.
ORDER WP.No.10462 of 2025 ffA;=g®*aputj usif.I J#.
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INTERIM DIRECTION { 3 l.,MY ?$25 fa *#¥T ) *`~-