Supreme Court rejects Tamil Nadu review plea on gas pipeline

The Tamil Nadu government has suffered a huge setback with the Supreme Court refusing to review its February 2 order directing implementation of the gas pipeline project by Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL).

A three-judge bench of Chief Justice T.S. Thakur and Justices A.K. Sikri and R. Banumathi dismissed two petitions, one filed by the Tamil Nadu government and the other by Elangovan and others, on behalf of farmers. In a brief order passed in the chambers last week, the bench said there was no merit in the review petitions warranting reconsideration.

The state urged the court to consider the plight of over 5,000 farmers whose livelihood would be affected if the project was implemented as per the present alignment instead of along the national highways.

Tamil Nadu faulted the February 2 order and said the court has failed to appreciate that the issue raised by GAIL cannot be termed as a mere law and order problem. The state, being responsible for the welfare of the people, has to take into account the apprehension raised by the farmers and must make them agree to a reasonable solution and that no project can ever be executed by the state government through police operations, thereby alienating the entire local population.

The petition said the apex court did not appreciate that the state government was concerned about the welfare of the poor farmers who do not have a voice and who are incapacitated from effectively representing their case before GAIL.