MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Friday continued till next Friday its interim relief granted earlier to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Rohit Pawar and his company Baramati Agro Limited in a notice issued by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) to close a unit.
A bench of Justices Nitin Jamdar and Manjusha Deshpande granted MPCB time till next Wednesday to file a reply to a petition filed by Baramati Agro challenging the closure demand.
The MPCB had on September 27 directed closure of the company’s unit within 72 hours. The board represented by senior counsel Milind Sathe and advocate Jaya Bagwe said it found two tankers containing hazardous chemicals near the plant that manufactures animal and poultry food among other things and launched a probe.
Pawar, 37, the CEO of Baramati Agro Limited, through senior counsel J P Sen and advocate Akshay Shinde petitioned the HC saying the notice was received at 2 am on September 28 and was a drastic step which would adversely impact employees as well.
On Friday while the HC gave time to MPCB, its senior counsel Sathe said there was a widespread violation at the behest of the company that needs to be curbed and sought that the stay order granted earlier be vacated. The HC did not vacate the stay.
The HC will hear the matter next on October 13.
