Parliamentary panel identifies critical gaps at NGT, recommends urgent reforms

NEW DELHI: A parliamentary panel has identified critical operational gaps at the National Green Tribunal (NGT), including severe staffing shortage and reliance on contractual workers, inadequate digital infrastructure, prolonged pendency of cases across benches and weak enforcement mechanism, and recommended various measures to make it more efficient.The panel — parliamentary standing committee on law and justice — that tabled its report in Parliament during the recently concluded monsoon session also found it unusual that at a time when govt is vigorously promoting digitalisation, an institution as important as the NGT continues to function without a dedicated computer/IT section and the required technical posts.“The Committee, therefore, recommends that a dedicated Computer/IT Section, with appropriate technical posts and supporting staff, be established and operationalized at all the Benches of the Tribunal to ensure reliable digital infrastructure and effective use of technology in its functioning,” said the report.Though the panel appreciated the steps…