TN government urges Centre to expeditiously execute Sethu project

The Tamil Nadu govenment today urged the Centre to expeditiously execute the Sethusamudram Project by removing "hurdles" that have come in the way of its execution.

"We urge the Union government to expeditiously complete the Sethusamudhram Project, which will provide an impetus to the
economy of Tamil Nadu and has enormous potential to add the
prosperity of the state, by removing hurdles that have come in
the way it its execution", finance minister K Anbazhagan said
in his budget speech.

On the Mullaperiyar issue, he said the state government was of the view that the Supreme Court order, constituting the empowered committee, required to be recalled. 

"Hence, an interlocutory petition has been filed in Supreme Court on March 8, 2010 praying for recall of its order dated February 18, 2010 and that the court may pass appropriate orders to continue its hearing in this c ase", it said.

The Supreme Court in its Judgement on February 27, 2006, had held that the Mullaiperiyar Dam is safe to raise the water level from 136 feet to 142 feet.

With a view to preventing implementation of this judgement, the Kerala Government restored to a legislative amendment. 

After hearing a petition filed by the Tamil Nadu government to declare this legislative amendment unconstitutional, the Constitutional Bench of Supreme Court on March 18, 2010
ordered constitution of an Empowered Committee under the
chairmanship of Dr A S Anand, former chief justice of India.