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Business News/ Politics / Policy/  Will not intervene in project of national importance: Supreme Court
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Will not intervene in project of national importance: Supreme Court

Supreme Court made the observation on a petition by a fisherman to stop construction of Vizhinjam international seaport near Kovalam

Photo: Rajkumar/MintPremium
Photo: Rajkumar/Mint

New Delhi: The Supreme Court said on Monday that it would not come in the way of a development project that is of national importance.

The observation came during a hearing of a petition by a J. Wilfred, a fisherman, seeking to stop construction of the government-owned Vizhinjam international seaport near Kovalam in Kerala.

“Should we stop a national project because some fishermen are facing inconveniences? This is a project which has great significance for commerce and economics," the court commented.

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zones Ltd (APSEZ), India’s biggest private port operator, had won the contract for the 6,000 crore project. Work on the port began on 17 November.

The petition seeking a stay on the project claimed that the site was ecologically sensitive and alleged that the green clearance given was illegal as the area comes under Coastal Regulation Zone-I norms.

A bench comprising chief justice T.S. Thakur, justices A.K. Sikri and R. Banumathi also asked lawyer Prashant Bhushan how an illiterate fisherman would know about technicalities of deep sea ports.

Advocate Vikas Singh, representing the state of Kerala, told the court that port would be the only deep water port in India and Indian ships now use the dock at deep ports in Colombo and Singapore.

On 16 December, a bench comprising justices J.S. Khehar and Rohinton F. Nariman had issued notices to the Kerala government and Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd. The bench also said they will be responsible for “restoring the environment to its original position if the court thought it fit to interfere with the construction activity".

The case will be heard next on 2 February.

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Published: 28 Jan 2016, 11:23 PM IST
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