The National Green Tribunal has directed the states and Union Territories to "expeditiously" prepare their action plans on climate change in accordance with the Centre's guidelines and get them approved by the Environment Ministry.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar also slammed the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) for dilly-dallying on the issue.

The directions came after MoEF told the green panel that the National Action Plan for Climate Change (NAPCC) was already in force and it has requested the states and UTs to implement and act in accordance with the said plan.

"The states have already been requested to bring the state action plan in conformity with the National Action Plan," the ministry said.

"In view of the above circumstances, we dispose of this application with a direction to the state governments to comply with the directions issued by the MoEF and prepare their respective draft plan and get the same approved expeditiously," the bench said.

Several states like Gujarat, Jharkhand, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Arunachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa, Nagaland and Manipur and Union Territories of Lakhshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands have already prepared their action plans which have been approved by MoEF as well, the ministry added.

The green panel was hearing a plea by advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal seeking directions to place on record the relevant documents relating to steps taken by the Centre and states in order to implement NAPCC.

The plea had also contended that the state governments should be restrained from acting in violation of NAPCC.

"There is a conflict of interest between the central government and various states and because of the same an important plan like NAPCC has failed to get implemented in its true letter and spirit," it had said.