NGT Chairperson, senior officers to attend office from May 4, hearings only through video-conferencing

New Delhi [India], April 28 (ANI): National Green Tribunal (NGT) Chairperson and officers above the rank of Deputy Registrars have been asked to attend the office with 100 percent attendance from May 4 while the remaining staff is to physically attend the office up to 33 percent strength.
The authorities said that considering the health and safety of lawyers, public, litigants and staff, the judicial work will be conducted by the NGT benches only by video-conferencing.
The lockdown, imposed to prevent the spread of coronavirus, is scheduled to end on May 3.
The section heads and in-charge of all sections shall prepare rosters of staff required to attend office physically by rotation and the staff members not required to present physically at the office, shall always remain available on phone and electronic means of communication, and shall attend office physically as and when required, the NGT said.
It said that only online filing of cases is allowed and no physical filing is permitted.
The parties, lawyers may request for listing or adjournment of their cases or make urgent mentioning, by sending an email in advance to judicialngt@nic.in, the authorities said.
All communication with NGT qua listing of cases, filing of documents/reports, filing of written submissions, synopsis, and audio of oral submissions, if any, etc shall be done only through this email ID, it said.
The NGT authorities said that the lawyers, litigants desirous of participating personally in video-conferencing hearings are required to send requests at the above email ID in advance, giving their names, case title, case number, date of hearing, email IDs, mobile numbers, etc.
It said that the entry to the NGT complex will be restricted only to its staff.
All the safety and precautionary guidelines issued by the government shall be scrupulously followed by all concerned and the staff shall maintain social distancing norms and protocols, wear face masks, pass through thermal scanners at entry gates and sanitize or wash hands at appropriate intervals, it added.
It said that the NGT complex, including surfaces of furniture and frequently touched objects, shall be sanitised with disinfectants on a daily basis. (ANI)