By IANS
New Delhi : The Supreme Court Thursday gave four more weeks to the government to file its affidavit on the Sethusamudram shipping canal project, which envisages building a shorter sea route between India’s eastern and western coasts.
While according additional time to the government to file its affidavit, a bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan posted the matter for further hearing in March.
The bench granted additional time after Additional Solicitor General R. Mohan told the bench that the government was still in the process of finalising the affidavit.
It was for the second time this month that the government sought more time to file a comprehensive affidavit in response to various lawsuits pending with it and challenging the project, which involves dredging a canal in the sea between India and Sri Lanka.
In October 2007, when the government had withdrawn its controversial affidavit doubting the veracity of the Ramayana, it had promised the court it would file its affidavit by mid December and the matter was slated for hearing on Jan 16.
On Jan 16, the government failed to file the affidavit and was given two weeks to do the same. It couldn’t do so again Thursday and has now been given four weeks more.
Former union minister Subramaniam Swamy, one of the key petitioners challenging the implementation of the project, contended before the court that the government was not pursuing the court’s directions seriously and was repeatedly breaching deadlines.