THE GOAN NETWORK
PANAJI
The Bombay High Court at Goa dismissed a petition challenging the Goa Tamnar Transmission Project Limited (GTTPL) allowing the company to proceed with its 400 KV transmission line project.
About 30 petitioners from Amona village had argued that the transmission line should follow the existing 220 KV corridor by pointing out that the current work violated Supreme Court orders and recommendations of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC). They alleged the work would also damage their properties.
The Division Bench of Justice M S Karnik and Justice Valmiki Menezes ruled that GTTPL had the necessary permissions and was entitled to carry out the work.
The Court further found no merit in the petitioners’ claims, stating that permissions had been obtained and that steps would be taken to minimise damage to the petitioners’ properties.
“In light of the observations and recommendations of the CEC, we do not find any merit in the contentions of the petitioners that the proposed 400 KV line should be drawn along the existing 220 KV corridor line between Mapusa and Sangod stretch and 220 KV line between Sangod and Xeldem stretch,” the Court said, adding, “The observations are thus made for protecting forest cover and wildlife in the ecologically fragile and biodiversity rich Western Ghats. We further find that while undertaking the work, the permission of the Tree Authority for the felling of trees has been obtained.”
The court was thereafter informed by the respondents that compensation claims would be looked into expeditiously as per the law and the project would be executed with minimal damage to private properties.
The Court while dismissing the petition, observed it did not find any merit in the petition and further clarified it has not made any observations on the entitlement of the petitioners to claim compensation.
