ITEM NO.301            COURT NO.1           SECTION PIL

              S U P R E M E   C O U R T   O F   I N D I A

                           RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS

I.A.NOS.1572 & 1578 in I.A.1572 in  IN W.P.(C)NO.202/1995

(For permission to carry out the project work and bringing on record the addl.grounds and facts and recommendations of C.E.C.)

Date: 25/04/2007  These applications/Petitions were called on for hearing today.

CORAM :

        HON'BLE  THE CHIEF JUSTICE

        HON'BLE DR. JUSTICE  ARIJIT PASAYAT

        HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE  S.H. KAPADIA

                      Mr.Harish N.Salve, Sr.Adv.(A.C.)

                     Mr.Siddhartha Chowdhury, Adv.(A.C.)

                    Ms.Gayatri Goswami, Adv.(A.C.)

For Petitioner(s)      In person

For Respondent(s)/     Mr.P.K.Manohar, Adv.

applicant(s)

For UOI                  Mr.Krishan Mahajan, Sr.Adv.

                         Mr.Sanjeev K.Bhardwaj, Adv.

                         Mr.D.S.Mahra, Adv.

                         Mr. Harish Beeran, Adv.

                         For Mr.R.C.Kathia, Adv.

                          Mr.B.S.Banthia, Adv.

                          Mr.Vikas Upadhyay, Adv.

I.A.No.1572&1578          Mr.L.Nageswara Rao, Sr.Adv.

                          Mr.Manoj Saxena, Adv

                          Mr.Rajnish Kr.Singh, Adv.

                          Mr.Rahul Shukla, Adv.

                          for Mr.T.V.George, Adv.

The State of Andhra Pradesh  seeks permission to convert 170 ha. of forest land from Papikonda Wildlife Sanctuary for the purpose of Polavaram Project. The Project itself is not cleared and the matter is pending consideration before the High Court in Writ Petition

No.17836/05 and connected matters. The writ petitions have been filed regarding this project mainly on the question of rehabilitation and re-settlement of the inhabitants in the Project Affected Area. Learned counsel for the State of 

Andhra Pradesh  submits that for getting the 170 ha. of land from the sanctuary so many preliminary works have to be done and sanctions are required which would take a long time to get the clearance and the State will be interested in pursuing the Polavaram Project by getting appropriate sanctions from the appropriate authorities. We make it clear that the State can proceed with the paper work and no authority shall grant any sanction as the matter is sub-judice before the High Court.

The applications may be posted for consideration in the 3rd week of July, 2007.

(G.V.Ramana)              (Veera Verma)

   Court Master          Court Master

However, the attempt by the state government  to misinterpret the court order and its attempt resume the construction of Polavaram  puts additional responsibility on us  to prevent  the attempt of the government. There is a need to mobilise the Project affected people against this crude attempt of the government.

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JPRao