The Bombay High Court on Tuesday stayed the showcause notice sent to Lavasa Corporation by the environment ministry to stop construction at its hill-city project in Mulshi and Velha talukas of Pune. The ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) had issued a showcause notice to Lavasa Corporation asking why unauthorised structures built without environmental clearances between March 18, 2004 and September 14, 2006 at Pune, should not be removed in their entirety. Lavasa?s main grouse is that it received a showcause notice without being heard. The court has also directed the environment ministry to hear out Lavasa on the showcause notice on December 9, 2010, and wants its report by December 16, 2010. The court has asked the environment ministry to explain why a status quo should be maintained on the case since it was made without hearing Lavasa?s case. The HC will hear the matter further on the same day. The court also directed the ministry to give a hearing to the NGO National Alliance of People?s Movement (NAPM) which had initially complained against the Lavasa project. However, no construction is allowed on the Lavasa project till December 16, 2010.
Lavasa in a statement to the media said, ? The HC has recorded the statement of the Additional Solicitor General that the word ?ante? in the show cause notice is an error and should be ignored….Lavasa Corporation has voluntarily given a statement that the company will not undertake construction work at Lavasa till December 16, 2010. The writ petition filed by Lavasa Corporation has been kept pending by the High Court and the hearing has been adjourned to December 16, 2010.?
Shares of Ajit Gulabchand-promoted Hindustan Construction Co that owns 65% in Lavasa, closed at Rs 45.75 up 1.89% on the BSE. The ministry has raised the objections that in at least 47 hectares of the Lavasa project, where construction has been done above the 1,000-m altitude limit.