Guwahati: A group of 71 retired civil servants from the All India and Central Services has written an open letter expressing concern over recent remarks made by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant during a Supreme Court hearing related to the Pipavav Port expansion project in Gujarat.
The signatories, operating under the banner of the Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG), said the Chief Justice’s comments against environmental activists could weaken environmental safeguards and discourage citizens from raising concerns about ecological damage and public health.
During the hearing of an appeal against a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order that upheld environmental and Coastal Regulation Zone clearances for the Pipavav Port expansion, the Chief Justice remarked: “Show us one project in India where environmental activists say we welcome this project, the country is progressing well, we welcome this project.”
In the letter dated May 22, the former bureaucrats said such remarks reflected “bias and prejudice” and were alarming coming from the country’s highest judicial authority.
“The CJI’s remarks against environmental activists and litigants, suggesting that these activists obstruct ‘development’, reveal a bias and prejudice that is alarming,” the letter stated.
The signatories warned that oral observations from the apex court often receive wide publicity and may influence lower courts and government authorities, potentially creating an atmosphere where citizens fear questioning projects that could harm forests, wildlife, ecosystems, and local communities.
Referring to historic environmental movements such as the Silent Valley agitation in Kerala, the Chipko movement in Uttarakhand, the Narmada Bachao Andolan, and Karnataka’s Appiko movement, the retired officials argued that citizen-led protests had played a crucial role in protecting India’s ecological heritage and strengthening environmental laws.
The group also highlighted several landmark Supreme Court judgements, including the MC Mehta cases, the Ganga pollution case, the Taj Trapezium case, and the Godavarman case, saying these rulings had established important environmental principles such as “polluter pays”, “precautionary principle”, and “inter-generational equity”.
The letter questioned the court’s reliance on government-appointed appraisal bodies, arguing that environmental governance mechanisms in the country had repeatedly failed to independently scrutinise projects.
Citing official figures, the signatories claimed that environmental appraisal committees under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change clear nearly all projects placed before them. According to the letter, around 95 to 100 per cent of projects across sectors receive approval, while 98 per cent of forest diversion proposals considered by the Forest Advisory Committee between 2014 and 2024 were cleared.
The retired officers also alleged that the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife approved 2,121 out of 2,186 proposals considered between 2014 and 2026.
The letter further referred to recent Supreme Court observations in matters related to the Aravalli hills and the Sariska Tiger Reserve, saying these cases themselves showed that government-appointed expert bodies were not infallible.
The group said weakening environmental oversight had contributed to rising air and water pollution, forest fires, floods, landslides, and extreme heat events across the country.
“We hope the Hon’ble CJI will encourage rather than discourage citizens from raising their voice for the ecological integrity of our country,” the letter stated.
Among the prominent signatories are former Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, former IAS officer and rights activist Harsh Mander, former diplomat K.P. Fabian, former police officer Julio Ribeiro, former Indian ambassador Gautam Mukhopadhaya and former Environment Secretary Meena Gupta.