HC not to interfere with SSCP

Chennai, June 18 (UNI) The Madras High Court today indicated that it would not interfere with the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project (SSCP).

During the course of arguments, a division bench comprising Chief Justice A P Shah and Justice P Jyothimani orally gave the above indication, while posting to tomorrow further hearing of the Public Interest Litigations (PILs) filed by Janata Party President Dr Subramanian Swamy and Hindu Munnani Founder President Rama Gopalan.

While Dr Swamy, in his petition, sought a direction to implement the SSCP by following any other alternate route or alignment without affecting, destroying or demolishing the historical bridge ''Rama Sethu', Mr Gopalan, in his petition, sought to restrain the authorities concerned from demolishing ''Ramar Palam'' and consequently direct the completion of the project by following any other alignment.

When the case came up for hearing, Additional Solicitor General V T Gopalan submitted that already there were two petitions in the Supreme Court.

One petition was to declare the area as a national monument. But the Apex Court was not inclined to interfere and it dismissed the petition with a liberty to the petitioner to go before the authorities.

The other petition, for a direction to the authorities to appoint a committee of experts to study the area, was also dismissed by the apex court.

The Additional Solicitor General submitted that borewells were sunk and after samples were taken it was found that the ''Ramar Palam'' was a natural formation.

To this, the bench intervened and said even then it would be a national monument. A natural phenomenon can also be a national monument and added that 300 metres of work alone can be stopped and the rest of the work can be carried out.

Mr Gopalan submitted that stopping the work at 300 metres of Adams Bridge alone would affect the entire work and the Rs 2,800 crore-project would come to a halt.

The government had already spend Rs 300 crore. No other alignment was possible as all the natural wealth and marine sanctuary would be lost. The petitioners' suggestions (alignment number four) would divide Dhanushkodi into two parts and bring seawater into land. So far 826 organisations had been consulted in this regard.

He submitted that the petitioners cannot sleep over the matter and after two years they cannot come and seek a stay. The project was inaugurated on July 2, 2005 after giving wide publicity and it had already taken shape and a deadline fixed and contract finalised.

It would also affect the trade in Sri Lanka and Singapore Port.

The petitioners want to see the project not taking off, he added.

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