Centre given 6 weeks time to finalize stand on Sethusamudram

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday granted six weeks time to the Union government to firm up its stand on the controversial Sethusamudram shipping channel project as well as its decision on the R K Pachauri panel report, which had junked the suggested alternative sea route.

Pachauri panel’s report submitted to the court had said the alternative route, which was suggested by a bunch of petitioners to avoid cutting through the mythological Ram Sethu, was not viable economically and ecologically.

But with reports suggesting that the government was not very keen to accept the Pachauri panel report which is likely to hurt religious sentiments of the majority community, a bench of Justices H L Dattu and C K Prasad smiled at solicitor general R F Nariman before granting time to the government to spell out its stand.

Nariman said the Union Cabinet had already had a sitting on the Pachauri panel’s report and the government would need a little more time on the issue. When he sought eight weeks time, the bench limited it to six weeks but said he was free to ask for more time if there was any difficulty.

It is reported that the government proposes to set up another committee to re-examine the feasibility of ‘Alignment 4A’ suggested by the Supreme Court four years ago after taking into consideration the proposals of the petitioners, which included Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy and AIADMK chief and Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalitha.

The Rs 25,000 crore Sethusamudram shipping channel was proposed to create a sea route between India and Sri Lanka instead of navigating around Sri Lanka to reach from west coast to east coast of India.