Madras HC dismisses PIL against Cheyyur Ultra Mega Power Project.

The Madras High Court has dismissed a public interest litigation challenging the land acquisition process for the proposed 4,000 MW Ultra Mega Power Project (UMPP) in Cheyyur, stating that the plea of the petitioner to stay the process as the environmental issues related to the project are pending before the National Green Tribunal, is not permissible. The Rs. 24,200-crore Cheyyur ultra mega power project in Tamil Nadu is reportedly India's first coastal power plant to be bid out with an attached captive port.

The High Court bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M Sathyanarayanan observed that the acquisition proceedings for the project started in May, 2010, and the land owners have been called upon to appear and collect the compensation in September, 2013 and 31 persons have already received compensation.

The Court said, 'In view of the aforesaid position, the plea of the petitioner that in larger public interest, the acquisition proceedings cannot go (which are substantially complete) on the ground that the issue of location of the Power Project inter alia is before the National Green Tribunal could not be permissible, nor in our view, a Public Interest Litigation in this form be entertained by a person who does not even have any interest in the land in question sought to be acquired.'

The dispute related to the environmental issues of project is pending with the the National Green Tribunal.


BS