Bhadravati power project hearing put off

In the matter heard on October 16, Justices V S Sirpurkar and S B Mhase had issued notices to 14 respondents including Ispat Industries, Western Coalfields Limited, the Central and the State Governments. The notices were returnable today.

Apart from challenging the allocation of the captive mines, Purohit had prayed for interim relief by way of a stay on the project. However, the counsel for the respondents opposed it and pointed out that the court had refused such relief on August 7 while disposing of Purohit’s previous petition. The respondents pleaded for more time to file replies before the court took a decision on interim relief. The matter was adjourned for two weeks.

Justices Sirpurkar and B H Marlapalle observed on August 7 that the matter to be raised was not clearly mentioned by the petitioner and allowed Purohit to either amend it or file an entirely new petition on the issue. This is how the fresh petition came out.

In his petition, the BJP MP stated that the proposed mining activities in the vicinity of the Ordnance Factory would threaten the safety of the ordnance unit and was contrary to national security interests. He sought an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the allotment of mining rights by the central and the state governments to Ispat’s subsidiaries – Central India Coal Company (CICCO) and Central India Power Company (CIPCO).Purohit also prayed for the setting aside of the September 27, 1993 order of the Union Ministry of Coal’s Screening Committee.