Govt okays ship lane fund-raiser after DMK stars bridge own divide

While Baalu laughed off differences with Raja as ‘‘non-existent’’, it is learnt that the latter raised objections to the Sethusamudram draft note, circulated before the project was taken to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) for approval this month.

Raja’s ministry listed environmental concerns over the project, saying that the coordinates of the Sethusamudram canal should be defined to ensure it does not run through the Mannar National Park.

The Rs 1,500-crore project envisages creation of a canal off Rameswaram by dredging the shallow banks in Adams Bridge and parts of Palk bay.

Once completed, this canal will save ships calling on India’s east coast 36 hours of ship time by doing away with the need to sail around Sri Lanka which is an additional 400 nautical miles.

It’s learnt that Baalu’s Shipping Ministry was peeved with the Environment Ministry for raising objections.

In fact, such was the pressure from Baalu’s end that Environment Ministry even contemplated withdrawing the objections since the Cabinet note was for the creation of an SPV that would raise funds for the DMK-backed project.

But the Finance Ministry insisted on inputs from the Environment Ministry. So the latter’s concerns were merely appended as annexures to the Cabinet note on the SPV.

Speaking to The Indian Express from Chennai, T R Baalu said: ‘‘The project is not near Mannar Park. Not even a blade of grass grows where the project is being proposed and there is no vegetation.’’ He said an environment issue simply did not arise.

‘‘When the project was first conceived, it was proposed in the Gulf of Mannar. Then it was moved away. Now the canal alignment is 20 km away,’’ Baalu said. He said the SPV had been cleared by the Cabinet but denied that Karunanidhi’s son M K Stalin was heading the project.

When Raja’s comments were sought, he said that all he had suggested was to let the SPV be cleared by the Environment Impact Assessment Committee. ‘‘I have no objection to the project. But they should have all environmental clearances,’’ he said.

Asked why he had raised objections in separate annexures to the Cabinet note, Raja said: ‘‘I do not remember what exactly was written on the papers.’’