Ratibad cricket stadium: Why can’t we hear plea, asks NGT after govt objection

Bhopal: Hearing the petition on tree felling and the legality of land change for a huge cricket stadium in Ratibad, the NGT on Tuesday asked state govt why it shouldn't hear the issue.The central bench of the green body asked for a detailed reply after the state govt contended that the issue of land use change does not fall under the domain of the NGT as it does not concern the environment in any manner. The petitioner, on the other hand, challenged this stance by saying that the land change from a golf course to a cricket stadium caused greater harm to the environment as it led to the felling of over 700 trees. So the case should be heard by NGT, he added. The counsel of the petitioner had earlier said that Town and country planning (T&CP) department gave permission for construction of a golf course at Barkheda Nathu in Ratibad but later it was retrospectively changed to construct a huge cricket stadium, which is illegal. The state govt's counsel said that land change shouldn't be heard by NGT after the counsel for the petitioner, Harpreet Singh Gupta, raised the issue during arguments in the case— Nitin Saxena Vs MP State Road Development Corporation— on Monday.