The Supreme Court on Friday appointed its former judge, Justice AK Sikri as Chairperson of the High-Powered Committee (HPC) formed to oversee the Char Dham highway project (Citizens of Green Doon v. Union of India)..A Bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Surya Kant accepted the resignation of Professor Ravi Chopra, who was earlier heading the panel..The HPC was constituted to consider the cumulative and independent impact of the Char Dham Project, which was essentially initiated to build all-weather roads on the entire Himalayan range.On Friday, the Court was informed by Attorney General for India KK Venugopal that Justice Sikri has already been appointed Chairperson of an oversight committee to look after environmental concerns, and thus he could head the HPC too..Professor Chopra was appointed chairperson of the HPC by the top court on August 8, 2019..The Supreme Court had earlier allowed the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to widen three strategic highways as part of the Char Dham project in compliance with the recommendations on environmental concerns made by the HPC.The three highways are:- Rishikesh to Gangotri (NH 94 and NH 108)- Rishikesh to Mana (NH 58)- Tanakpur to Pithoragarh (NH 125).The Court had set up an oversight committee headed by Justice Sikri to oversee the project with respect to the three highways, and to report to the Court directly on the same.
The Supreme Court on Friday appointed its former judge, Justice AK Sikri as Chairperson of the High-Powered Committee (HPC) formed to oversee the Char Dham highway project (Citizens of Green Doon v. Union of India)..A Bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Surya Kant accepted the resignation of Professor Ravi Chopra, who was earlier heading the panel..The HPC was constituted to consider the cumulative and independent impact of the Char Dham Project, which was essentially initiated to build all-weather roads on the entire Himalayan range.On Friday, the Court was informed by Attorney General for India KK Venugopal that Justice Sikri has already been appointed Chairperson of an oversight committee to look after environmental concerns, and thus he could head the HPC too..Professor Chopra was appointed chairperson of the HPC by the top court on August 8, 2019..The Supreme Court had earlier allowed the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to widen three strategic highways as part of the Char Dham project in compliance with the recommendations on environmental concerns made by the HPC.The three highways are:- Rishikesh to Gangotri (NH 94 and NH 108)- Rishikesh to Mana (NH 58)- Tanakpur to Pithoragarh (NH 125).The Court had set up an oversight committee headed by Justice Sikri to oversee the project with respect to the three highways, and to report to the Court directly on the same.