Dismissed

Piramal Pharma Limited v. The State of Telangana

Telangana HC12 Nov 2021WP/6105/2021

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

The Telangana High Court disposed of a writ petition challenging show cause notices and orders requiring a pharmaceutical company to contribute to the Patancheru and Bollaram Environment Relief Fund. Relying on an identical decision in other matters, the Court held that since the orders were passed by TSPCB under NGT directions, the remedy lies before the National Green Tribunal. The interim stay

What did the court decide?

Petition dismissed; stay vacated; liberty granted to approach NGT for clarification regarding obligation to contribute corpus fund.

Piramal Pharma Limited Vs The State of Telangana — Environment and Pollution | Telangana HC (2021)

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HIGH COURT FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA AT HYDERABAD

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(Special Originat Jurisdiction)

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FRIDAY, THE TWELFTH DAY OF NOVEMBER TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY ONE

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PRESENT

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THE HON'BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE SATISH CHANDRA SHARMA AND

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THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE A. RAJASHEKER REDDY

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r.A.NO.2 0F 2021

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IN/AND

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WBIIPETITION NO:6105 OF 2021

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wP NO.6105 0F 2021:

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Between:

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Piramal Pharma Limited (Represented by its GPA Holder - I/s. pritee tVlisra) Unit Address.--Villag_e Digwal, Kohir Mandal, Sangareddy District, Telang ana SO2'321 . [egd..Office.^{Ground Floor,Pigpql Ananta,Agasiya CorporateFark, Opp. Fire} Blgq!q, Kamani Junction, LBS Marg, Kuria (West), Mumbai, Mahaiashtra 400070

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AND

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,..PETITIONER

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1 Ihe^{State of T_elangana,(Representedby its Special Chief Secretary)} Environment, Forest, Science and Technology Department Secretariat Buildings, Saifabad, Hyderabad, Telangana

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2 Telangana State Pollution Control Board, (Represented by its lVember Secretary) Paryava ra na-B hava n, A lll, lndustrial Estate, Sanathnagai, Hyderabad, Telangana 5oo 018

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...RE''.NDENTS

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Petition under Article 226 o'f lhe Constitutlon of lndia praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit filed therewith, the High Court may be pleased to issue an appropriate Writ, Order or direction more particularly one in the nature of Writ of lVandamus declaring the Show Cause Notice dated 2BlO9l2O20 bearing No. 104/PCB/RO-1. SRD/2020 - 433 and also declaring the Order 01 .02,2021 bearing No.73/HC/TSPCB/Legal 12019-728 issued by the Respondent No.2 iilegal, arbltrary and violate of the directions issued by the Honble National Green Tribunal, Southern Zone Bench, Chennai, vide a common Judgment daled 2411012017 passed in Application No.90 of 2013 and other batch matters and directing the Respondent No.2 to withdraw both the said Show Cause Notice daled 2BlOgl2O2O and the said Order 0110212021 issued by the Respondent No.2 and directing the Respondent No.2 to not to take any adverse action against the Petitioner and not to stop /deny any regular /routine approvals /permissions on the basis and on the ground of the issuance of the said Show Cause Notice dated 2810912020 and /or on the ground of the issuance of the said Order 0110212021 issued by the Respondent No.2

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lA NO: 1 OF 2021

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Petition under Section 151 CPC praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit filed in support of the petition, the High Court may be pleased to stay

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the operation/implementation of the Show Cause^{Notice daled2810912020bearing} No. 104/PCB/RO-1. SRD/2020 - 433 and also stay the operation/implementation^of the Order 0110212021 bearing No.73|HC/TSPCBI^{Legall2019-728issuedby the} Respondent Not and direct the Respondent No.2 to not to take any adverse action against the Petitioner and not to stop/deny any regular/routine approvals /permissions on the basis and on the^ground of the issuance of the said Show Cause Notice daled 2810912020 andlor on the^ground of the issuance of the said Order 0110212021 issued by the Respondent No.2 till the^pendency of this^present Writ Petition.

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lA NO: 2 OF 2021:

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Between:

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The Telangana State Pollution Control Board, Represented by its Member Secretary. Paryavarana Bhavan, A-lll, lndustrial Estate, Sanathnagar, Hyderabad

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....pETrroNER/REspoNDENT No.2

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AND

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It//s. Piramal Phiarma Limited, Represented by its GPA Holder - Ms. Pritee lVlisra Unit Address. Digwal Village, Kohir Mandal, Sangareddy Distrlct, Telang ana 502 321 ,

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....RESPONDENTM/RIT PETITIONER

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The State of Telangana, (Represented by its Special Chief Secretary) Environment, Forest, Science and Technology Department Secretariat Buildings, Saifabad, Hyderilbad, Telangana

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...RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT

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Petition under Section 151 CPC praying that in the circumslances stated in the affidavit filed in su,cport of the petition, the High Court may be pleased to vacate the interim stay granted to the petitioner dated 2610412021 in L A No 1 ol 2021 in Writ Petition No 6105 of 2021 for the protection and rejuvenation of environment and in the interest of justice

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Counsel for the Petitioner: Ms. MEENAKSHI ARORA, SENIOR COUNSEL FOR SRI GOPI REDDY SANJEEVA REDDY

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Counsel for Respondent No. 'l: GP FOR FORESTS

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counsel for Respondent No. 2: SMT. PADMAJA R. N., SC FOR TSPCB

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The Court made the following: ORDER

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THE HON'BLE THE^{CHIEF JUSTICE SATISH CIIANDRA SHARMA} AND

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THE HON'BLE Szu JUSTI^{CE A.RAJASH EKER REDDY}

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I.A.No.2 of 2O2L ln/And^{W.P.No.61O5of 2O2L}

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COMMON ORDER: Pet^{tte Han'bte the ctDelJusnce sotish chan'|rashom.a)}

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in the High Court^{of Telangana, physical hearinghas} resumed. However, at^{the insistenceof learnedcounsel} appearing for^{the petitioner-company, the matter was heardwith} the consent of^{the parties through video conferencing and after} hearing the learned^{counselfor the parties, the matteris being} disposed of at^{motion hearing stage itself'}

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The petitioner^{beforethis court, a company registered} under the Companies^{Act, 2013, has filed the present rvrit} petition being aggrieved^{by the shorv cause noticedated} 28.O}.2O2O as^{u'ell as the order dated 0t 02 2021 issued by the} Telangana State^{Pollution Control Board'}

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The facts of^{the case reveal that the National Green} Tribunal,southernZoneBench,Chennai,videjudgmentdated 24.10.2017 in^{Application No'90 of 2013and batch'issued} directions for PaYment of corpus fund^{of170 of the annual} turnover lor^exPansion of industries^{and 0.5% of the annual} turnover by^{the industries for restoration of the entire affected} area and^{creationof Corpus Fund in the nameof "Patancheru} and Bollaram^{Environment Relief Fund"The petitioner-} company^{was one of the respondents betbrethe National Green} Tribunal and^{after hearing the petitioner-company'the judgment} wasdeliveredbytheTribunal'Incomplianceoftlrejudgment delivered^{by the NationalGreen Tribunal,the petitioner-company} -^-

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made contributions^{in the year 2ol}-lg by paying a sum ol} Rs.4,22,0O,OOOi^{-. The undisputed facts of the case also reveal} that the^{petitioner-companyis supplying drinking waterto} various villages^{keepingin view the various orders passed by this} High Court^{from timeto time'}

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Ms.MeenakshiArora,learnedSeniorAdvocateappearing for the^{petitioner-company, has vehementlyargued beforethis} court that^{the unit of the petitioner-companyis not situatedin} Patancheru^{and Boliaram Industrial Areasand therefore' the} judgment of the National^{Green Tribunaldoes not cover the unit} of the^{petitioner-company'}

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A similar^{controversy arose in respectof M/s.Chromo} Laboratories^{lndia Limited and M / sSuven} Pharmaceuticals Limited, ha'''ing^{their unttsat SangareddyDistrict, Telangana'} India Limited^{and M/ s'Suven} M/ s. Chrorno^Laboratortes Pharmaceuticals^{Limited were also issued show cause notices} and orders^{were passed oo 07 02 '2021directing them to} contributeto.wardsCorpusFundandthecompanies,statingthat they are having^{units in SangareddyDistrict and the judgmentis} not applicable^{to them, cameup before this court by filing writ} petitions i.e.,^{W.P.Nos.4118and 4143 of 2021' A Division Bench} of this court^{has passed an order dated 26 'O3 '2021 in} W.P.Nos.41^{18 and 4143 of 2021,which is reproduced as under:-}

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'1. The^{presentpetitions hauebeen filedbg the petitioters pragolg} inter olia for^{declaing the oction oJ the respondentNo 2/ Telangana} State Potlution^{ControlBaardin denandingcontibutiotl to thecorpus} fund^{c.eqtedba it, in termsof theorders dated24'10 2017passedby} the National^{GreetTT.ibwlal,Southert Betch,Chennaiin o botch of} /natlers, as illegal^{and arbitrary'}

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At the outsel, tue lTaue requested learned counsel for lhe petitionerc to^qddress this court on tlte nairiqirability of the present petitions Luhen, euen as per the inryugned order dated O1.O2.2O21 passed bA the respondent No.2/Telangana State Pollution Control Board, pagment iL the corpus fund is betng called upon to be rnade bg the concerned ind.usties in terns of the order of the National Creen TibunaL Southern Bench, Chei ai. ht our opittiotl, if the petitioners arc aggieved bA the alorcsaid action of the respondeit No.2/ TeLangana State Pollution Cotltrol Board, tts remedy lies beJore tlte National Green Tibunal. lnstead, the petitioners are calltng upon this courl to interpret the order of the NcLtional Green Tibunal one Luag or the other, which^is not permissible,

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We decline to entertain the^{present petitions.} The same are acardinglg closed along utth the^penditw appticatiotts, tf^{qt7A.It is} for the petitioners to approach the Natiotxal Green Tibunal for clarification oJ tts order dated 24.10.2017 and/ or to seek appropri/rte^{ordersto the} eJfect that theg are not under antg obligation to contibute^{to the corpus} fund^{asdirectedto be cfeated. bA tleNatio,'LalGreen TibwLaLin tenB oJ} the order dated 24.10.2017."

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In the considered opinion of this court,^{as the impugned} orders have been^passed by the^{TelanganaStatePollution} Control Board in respect of^{payment of Corpus Fund in termsof} the order of the National^{GreenTribunal and incase the} petitioners are aggrieved, the remedy lies^{before the National} Green Tribunal and admission^{has been declined in identical} case by this court.

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We also decline to entertain^{the presentpetition.The same} stands disposed of with liberty^{to the petitioner-companyto} approach the National^{GreenTribunalfor clarificationof the} order dated 24.10.2017^{and to seek appropriate ordersto the} effect that it is not under^{any obligationto contributeto the} Corpus Fund, as directed^{to be created by the NationalGreen} Tribunal in terms of^{the order dated 24.10.2017'The interim} order clated 26.04.2021^{stands vacated. Resultantly, I A'No'2 of} 2O2l is allowed.

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The miscellaneous^{applications pending in this writ}

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petition, if any,^{shall stand closed'}

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SD/- K.VENKAIAH ASSISTANT REGISTRAR ,TRUE COPY// L ttl SECTION OFFICER

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To,

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The Presiding Officer, National Green Tribunal, Southern Zone Bench, Chennai. 2. The Special Chief Secretary, Environment, Forest, Science and Technology Department, State of Telangana Secretariat Buildings, Saifabad, Hyderabad, Telangana

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3 The lt/ember Secretary, Telangana State Pollution Control Board, Paryavarana Bhavan, A lll, lndustrial Estate, Sanathnagar, Hyderabad, Telangana 500 0'18

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4 Qne^{CCto Sri Gopi Reddy Sanjeeva Reddy Advocate} IOPUCI 5 Two CCs to GF' For Forests, High Court for the State of Telangana. [OUT] 6 One CC to Smt. Padmaja R. N., SC for Telangana State Pollufion C6ntrol-Board (oPUC)

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