By IANS,
New Delhi : The Supreme Court Tuesday asked the central government to unequivocally state whether mythological Rama Sethu could be declared a national monument.
Asking the government to spell its stand on Rama sethu, a bench of Justice H.L. Dattu and Justice Anil R. Dave asked Additional Solicitor General Harin Rawal to find out from the department concerned what their position is on the issue and inform the court of it.
Giving a day’s time to Rawal to address the court’s query, the court directed the listing of the matter for Thursday (March 29).
The court also directed the government to place before it the report of the group headed by environmental expert, Dr. R.K. Pachauri, on the possibility of executing the Sethusamudram project through Dhanushkodi.
The earlier plans of having the shorter navigation route through mythological Rama Sethu had run into litigation and controversies involving religious beliefs.
Earlier in 2009, the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) had said that there was inadequate data to come to a definite conclusion if alignment 4A at Dhanushkodi could be used as an alternate route for undertaking the Sethusamudram project.
The court gave central government six weeks time to submit its report to the court.