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December 15, 2009

Margashirsha Krushna Chaturdashi, Kaliyug Varsha 5111

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Monday appeared to be employing delaying tactics over the controversial Sethusamudram project when it refused to set a deadline for placing before the Supreme Court the report of the expert committee on feasibility of pushing the project through an alternative route. The Centre said the R K Pachauri headed expert committee could take a minimum of 18 more months to give its report.

It said the preliminary report of the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), which has allegedly doubted the feasibility of the project, cannot be taken as final and binding on the expert panel. Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy had moved an application seeking scrapping of the Rs 2,400 crore Sethusamudram project saying that NIO has doubted its feasibility.

The shipping ministry said in its affidavit said that the expert panel had deliberated on the NIO’s inputs and nominated it for an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) in 18 months. “Hence, at this juncture, the NIO’s preliminary report cannot be taken as final and binding on the expert committee. In view of the decision of the expert committee taken in the meeting on November 10, the final report for the EIA has to be awaited before the committee comes to a final conclusion about the feasibility of the alternative alignment as the impact of environment is one of the most important aspects for the construction of channel,” the affidavit said.

The bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices R V Raveendran and J M Pancha, which wanted to know how much time the government will take to place the report, reminded Additional Solicitor General Harin Raval that it has been waiting for over 16 months for the report of the expert committee since it reserved its verdict on July 30, 2008, on the bunch of petitions challenging execution of the project.

“We were informed that the expert committee will make an exhaustive study,” the bench said. The ASG said he was not in touch with the committee but will ask the government to find out from the committee if it can come out with an interim report. He said even the NIO will take around a year to collect data on EIA.

The court posted the matter for further hearing on February 23. The Supreme Court had asked the committee to examine feasibility of the project through Dhanushkodi to avoid any damage to Rama Sethu. The Pachauri Committee had outsourced the work of examining the feasibility of the project to NIO.

Source: Economictimes.com

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