PANAJI
The Bombay High Court at Goa has issued notice based on a petition filed by Goenchea Raponkarancho Ekvott that has approached the court seeking a halt on railway double tracking work, on grounds that the work is being carried out without any environmental clearance.
The plea was filed before the High Court on Monday and the High Court has directed the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited and the Central government to file their replies.
This is the latest in the series of challenges that have been filed before the High Court seeking a stop on the rail double tracking work.
Earlier the High Court had dismissed a petition filed by the village panchayat of Velsao Pale Issorcim as well as another similar petition filed by the Ganv Bhavancho Ekvott, Chandor that had challenged the permissions for the work without nod from the local panchayat body.
Earlier, while disposing a petition filed by a group of villagers under the banner of Ganv Bavancho Ekvott who had challenged the power of the railway authorities to commence construction of a controversial second railway line through their village, the High Court ruled that unless specifically mandated -- either through law or judgement by the Supreme Court -- railway authorities were exempt from virtually all laws under Section 11 of the Railways Act.
“If indeed the Supreme Court ever passes an order that a rail line cannot be laid in a CRZ area without environment clearance from the authorities of the relevant Coastal Management Authority, any railway administration would be bound to obtain such environmental clearance. However, so long as such a requirement is not expressed in any judicial order, the mere fact that the railway authorities in this case have sought permission from the forest as well as wildlife authorities would not ipso facto impose upon SWR and RVNL the obligation to obtain environmental clearance from the GCZMA,” the High Court had said.
