Regeneration from Dabhol Power Project will be delayed

Mumbai, Apr 5 (UNI) Regeneration from the Ratnagiri Gas Power Project, erstwhile Dabhol Power Project, will be delayed further with the Bombay High Court today setting aside and remitting back the matter of acquisition of right of user with respect to gas pipeline being laid down for the project.

The direction came in response to a petition filed by a landowner, Ashok Bhatija, challenging right of user acquisition with respect to his family farmland in Khalapur tehsil of Raigad district.

A division bench of Justice F I Rebello and Justice R M Sawant today set aside final notification regarding Bhatija's land and directed the competent authority under Petroleum Minerals Pipelines Act, 1962, to take fresh hearing on the matter on April 12. The petitioner has contended that though the competent authority had initially accepted his objections and directed GAIL to consider alternatives suggested by him, GAIL did not consider the same and ultimately the competent authority rejected his objections and suggestions arbitrarily.

Earlier, the court had directed the Central Government to reconsider final notification, issued while the petition was pending in the court. But, counsel for the Union Government yesterday informed the court that there had been no response from the Union Law as well as Petroleum ministries.

The Central Government had contended that considering power shortage in Maharashtra, regeneration from the Dabhol Power Project was very crucial and any delay may cause even collapse of the Western Power Grid. But, now, as the final notification has been struck down, generation from the controversial project would not come to risk of state, not at least during ensuing summer.

Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) has been entrusted with the work of laying down pipeline carrying re-gasified LNG from Dahej in Gujarat to the project site at Dabhol. The 772-km pipeline would cost more than Rs 3157 crores.

UNI