CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Wednesday has suspended the operation of a notification of the Union Ministry of Forests and Environment dated February 17 this year constituting another committee to examine in detail all the matters relating to the 4,225 acres elephant corridor in Sigur plateau in Nilgiris district.“We are not satisfied with the order passed by the Government of India ...,” a division bench comprising Justices Elipe Dharma Rao and N Kirubakaran said and granted the injunction until further orders.The Bench was passing interim orders on a writ petition from S Jayachandran of Fingerpost village in Nilgiris district, also joint secretary of the Tamil Nadu Green Movement, seeking to quash the February 17 notification of the Centre.According to petitioner, the State government, following various orders of the High Court in 2008, and based on the report submitted by the committee constituted by the High Court, had declared the area identified by the committee as elephant corridor.It was also upheld by the High Court by an order dated April 7, 2011.An appeal was preferred in the Supreme Court and the same was posted for further hearing on March 12. No interim stay was granted. While so, the Union Forest and Environment Ministry passed the February 17 notification constituting another committee to examine in detail all the issues relating to the elephant corridor in Sigur plateau.The petitioner contended that the notification would amount to diluting the State government order constituting the committee. It would also result in interfering with the powers of the State government. Moreover, constituting another committee during the pendency of the appeal in the Supreme Court would also amount to the Centre sitting on the appeal over the judgment of the High Court, the petitioner contended.
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