Tuesday, October 1, 2013

HC seeks four past orders on Rampal power project

The High Court yesterday sought its past four orders regarding construction of the coal-fired Rampal power plant in Bagerhat, some 14 kilometres from the Sundarbans, to decide on a writ petition praying for its directive to stop the construction.
Four Supreme Court lawyers filed the petition on Sunday seeking to halt the construction till a proper environmental impact assessment was done.
The bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Zafar Ahmed asked the petitioners’ lawyer Manzill Murshid to place before it copies of the orders by tomorrow.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam opposed the petition, saying some people were intentionally moving such petitions to stop the construction on excuses of environmental damage.
The plant will cause no environmental damage and reduce subsidy on electricity, he said.
Manzill argued that the government reportedly permitted Power Development Board to construct the plant without conducting a proper environmental impact assessment.
On August 12, 2012, the HC, following a writ petition, issued a rule asking the government to explain why filling up of Moidara river in Rampal for setting up the plant should not be declared illegal.
On March 22, 2012, the HC, in response to another writ petition, issued a rule upon the government to explain why it should not be directed not to construct the plant.
On March 1, 2011, on hearing another writ petition, the HC directed the government to maintain status quo on the construction process. Later, it vacated the order.

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