Mumbai: “Code of doesn’t mean you stop all work. All necessary work must continue going on,” said Bombay High Court yesterday.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Naresh Patil and Justice N M Jamdar asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and other authorities in Maharashtra to ensure that the implementation of the model code of conduct for the coming Lok Sabha polls did not hinder the administration work in the State.
The judges made the submission while hearing a petition seekin directions to the BMC to appoint experts to its Tree Authority that holds the power to grant permissions for felling of trees for development projects.
When the BMC was asked about the status of such appointments, the civic body’s counsel asked for more time. It said that the appointments were to be finalised this week but the process might be affected due to the the model code of conduct, which came into effect on Sunday.
To this, the bench said code of conduct must not affect the appointments to the tree committee. “How does the Tree Authority get affected? Everything doesn’t stop because of the code of conduct. Will you stop your TBMs (tunnel boring machines that is being used for metro construction across Mumbai)? Ensure that what is necessary does not come to a halt,” the bench said.
The BMC and the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) were also directed by the court to inform how successfully they were able to transplant and translocate trees that were felled for the Metro and other development projects.