The Bombay High Court recently refused to accept a hard copy of an affidavit submitted by a city planning agency of the Maharashtra government and observed that “it is high time the State government and its agencies now start using the e-filing system invariably”.
A Division Bench of Justices G.S. Patel and Gauri Godse was hearing public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by non-government organisation (NGO) Vanshakti through advocate Zaman Ali, seeking to protect wetlands and forests. Advocate G.S. Hegde, appearing for the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) in the matter, wanted to file a hard copy of the affidavit.
However, the Bench said, “We decline to take hard copies. It is incongruous that in an environmental PIL that seek to protect wetlands and filed by a social action group that seeks to protect forests, more and more paper is being used like this.”
The court went on to say, “There is now an e-filing system in place in this court. It is high time the State government and its agencies now start using the e-filing system invariably. If matters carry on like this, we will never be able to shift to a paperless environment — and that is the avowed objective and goal of the state government itself.”
The court also sent a copy of the order to the Registrar (original side), Registrar general and the prothonotary and Senior Master to consider issuing appropriate directions or obtaining appropriate directions from the Chief Justice of the High Court Dipankar Datta.
