In Brief
Indian Oil Corporation was granted a dealership for a petrol pump, but a third party filed a complaint before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) alleging violation of siting distance guidelines issued by the Central Pollution Control Board. The NGT improperly delegated its decision-making authority to an expert committee and later passed an order ex parte without hearing the company, stalling the project for six years. The Supreme Court set aside both NGT orders, holding that the NGT cannot abdicate its adjudicatory function to committees and must follow natural justice principles including proper notice and hearing. The Court found no actual violation of guidelines and allowed the petrol pump's establishment subject to current legal compliance.
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