HC poser on plastic bag ban

Gauhati High Court today asked Dispur to file its response to a public interest litigation (PIL) alleging violation of the ban on plastic bags in the city.

A division bench of Chief Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and Justice Arup Kumar Goswami issued notices to the Assam government and Pollution Control Board, Assam to furnish replies to the PIL, filed by Rotary Club of Guwahati.

On behalf of Rotary Club of Guwahati, its president Gajendra Nath Khound filed the PIL (number 21 of 2013), seeking strict enforcement of the ban on manufacture, sale and use of certain categories of plastic bags.

The petitioner’s counsel, G.N. Sahewalla, said the state government and the pollution board have been asked by the court to file their replies in the form of affidavits by April 23, the next date of hearing of the PIL.

Guwahati HC directs BCCI to formulate guidelines for IPL games

The Guwahati high court on Wednesday directed the BCCI to formulate rules and regulations within three months for selecting the cities for holding IPL matches.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and Justice AK Goswami also directed the BCCI to upload the guidelines on its website within three months.

On October 25, the high court, taking a serious view of the BCCI's decision to not allot any match or team from the North Eastern region, had restrained it till today from taking a final decision pursuant to its October 14 tender on the selection of new teams.

Acting on a PIL filed by G L Agrawalla, the editor of a local newspaper, the single bench of Justice B P Agrawall had passed the retraining order.

The PIL had also alleged that the NE region was discriminated against the BCCI, which could have included Guwahati for bid of teams among the 12 cities selected countrywide.

Senior advocates Dr Ashok Saraf and Amit Goyal argued for the petitioner while the BCCI was represented by senior counsel Niloy Dutta.

The Gauhati High Court (HC) restrained BCCI from 'taking a final decision' on IPL tender

The Gauhati High Court (HC) today restrained the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) from “taking a final decision” on the tender floated on October 14 for selection of new teams for 2013 IPL tourney.

A single judge of the high court, B D Agarwal also sought a response of the Centre, BCCI and the Assam Cricket Association on a PIL filed by Ghisa Lal Agarwal, editor of a vernacular daily challenging non-inclusion of any team from Guwahati in the 12 teams short-listed for participating in the bids.

However, the court said BCCI may go ahead with the process for selection of teams which would be subject to it final orders.

The petitioner had submitted that Guwahati, despite being the gateway of north eastern states with better infrastructure and facilities, has not been included in the auction process for IPL teams.

It was submitted that exclusion of Guwahati from the new teams is an act of discrimination by BCCI which is recognised by the government of India as it is undertaking public duties and functions in the matter of cricket game.

The court, after holding that there was a prima facie case for entertaining the PIL, issued notices to the respondents for their replies by November 11.