No concrete evidence on Ramar Sethu, says Centre

Chennai, May 29 (UNI) The Centre today denied the existence of 'Ramar Palam' as claimed in public interest litigation (PIL) petitions filed by Janata Party (JP) President S Subramanian Swamy and Hindu Munnani Founder-President Rama Gopalan and said the theory was mythology which was neither scientifically supported nor proved by any concrete evidence.

This was stated in its counter-affidavit filed by Sethu Samudram Corporation Limited Deputy General Manager (Operations) V Ramamoorthy in response to the PILs seeking to restrain the Union Government from demolishing Ramar Palam otherwise known as Adams Bridge by following alignment number six in the sketch and direct it to consider following any other route or alignment for project completion.

The Centre denied the averment there was a bridge between Thalaimannar in Sri Lanka and Dhanushkodi in India and said there was no scientific, literary, historical or religious evidence for the existence of any such bridge.

The prayer to conduct investigation into the origin and history of Adams Bridge/Ramar Sethu and declare it as monument of national importance cannot be countenanced. In short, the petitioners want to conduct a fishing enquiry, which meant there was no concrete evidence for their claims.

There was no question of declaring natural sand shoals lying beneath the sea as monument of national importance, he added.

The course approved for the project has been determined by experts including NEERI and approved by the Ministry of Environment and Forest. The opinion of such experts cannot be disturbed.

For various reasons alignment number 1, 2 and 4 suggested by the petitioners cannot be acceded to, he submitted.

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