What happened: rights groups demand an overhaul in Supreme Court-appointed Aravali hearings process
Civil rights groups in Rajasthan have urged a Supreme Court-appointed high-powered committee to overhaul its process for hearings on the Aravali hill range. The Supreme Court-appointed committee is visiting hill regions in Delhi, Haryana, and Rajasthan.
Rights groups described the committee’s tour as a “token” assessment because the tour covered nine districts in four days.
Rights groups alleged that a mining lobby dominated hearings. Rights groups also alleged that local administration did not effectively inform or involve local residents in the hearings.
PUCL (People’s Union for Civil Liberties)-Rajasthan president Anant Bhatnagar warned that if the committee’s process is not genuinely participatory, people’s groups will hold their own public hearings across the Aravali region.
Akhil Bharatiya Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram, an RSS-affiliated social welfare organisation, wrote to the Supreme Court-appointed committee raising concerns about the public consultation notification, including insufficient time to submit comments and inadequate reach to rural communities.