On Wednesday, the Apex Court said it would list for hearing BJP leader Subramanian Swamy's plea seeking direction to the Centre to declare the Ram Sethu a national heritage monument.
A bench comprising CJI N V Ramana & Justice Krishna Murari & Justice Hima Kohli, which had agreed to list the plea for hearing on July 26, said it could not do so as one of the judges of the bench concerned had some health issues.
We will list it, the Chief Justice of India told Swamy.
Subramanian Swamy mentioned the case for urgent listing on July 13 & a few times in past as well.
Ram Sethu, also known as Adam's bridge, is a chain of limestone shoals between Pamban Island, off the south-eastern coast of Tamil Nadu, & Mannar Island, off the north-western coast of Sri Lanka.
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Swamy had submitted that he had already won the first round of the litigation in which the Centre accepted the existence of Ram Sethu.
He said the Union minister concerned had called a meeting in 2017 to consider his demand but nothing happened subsequently.
The BJP leader had raised the issue of declaring the Ram Sethu a national monument in his Public Interest Litigation against the controversial Sethusamudram Ship Channel project, initiated by the UPA-I Govt.
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The matter reached the Supreme Court, which in 2007 stayed work for the project on the Ram Sethu.
The Centre later said it had considered the "socio-economic disadvantages" of the project & was willing to explore another route to the shipping channel project without damaging the Ram Sethu.
"That the Government of India intends to explore an alternative to the earlier alignment of Skeletomuscular Ship Channel project without affecting/damaging the Adam's Bridge/Ram Sethu in the interest of the nation," the affidavit filed by the Ministry had said.
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The Court then asked the Govt to file a fresh affidavit.
The Sethusamudram shipping channel project has been facing protests from some political parties, environmentalists & certain Hindu religious groups. Under the project, an 83 km water channel was to be created, linking Mannar with Palk Strait, by extensive dredging & removal of limestone shoals.
On Nov 13, 2019, the Supreme Court granted the Centre 6 weeks to clarify its stand on the Ram Sethu. It had also granted Swamy liberty to approach the court if the response of the Centre was not filed.
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