Orissa HC to hear PIL on KoPT limits extension on July 15

The next hearing of the Orissa High Court (HC) on the contentious issue of extension of Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT)'s limits is scheduled to be held on July 15.

The matter was to come up for hearing on June 27, but has been deferred by nearly three weeks as the KoPT authorities sought more time to submit their response.

In its last hearing on May 5, the Orissa HC had directed the KoPT authorities not to act in haste in connection with the extension of port limits.

A two-member bench of the HC consisting of Chief Justice V Gopal Gouda and Justice B M Mahapatra had begun preliminary hearing on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) opposing ‘arbitrary’ extension of port limits by KoPT.

The KoPT, on the other hand, has filed a petition in the Supreme Court of India, demanding withdrawal of cases pending in the Orissa and Calcutta High Courts. The apex court, however, is yet to admit KoPT's petition.

In response, the Orissa government had filed a caveat in the Supreme Court, requesting the apex court not to decide anything on the issue of extension of KoPT limits without hearing Orissa's point of view.

The Orissa government refused to budge from its stand that the notification that had unilaterally extended the KoPT limits be withdrawn.

The issue has snowballed into a major controversy with the Orissa government vociferously protesting the move.

The state was sore over the fact that it was not consulted by the KoPT authorities before issuing the port extension notification.

The state government argued that the arbitrary extension of the Kolkata port limits would seriously jeopardize the operations of the minor ports coming up on the state's coastline.

At a recent meeting called by the state government, the developers of Dhamara, Kirtania and Astaranga ports had voiced their opposition to the move.

Though the Orissa government and KoPT authorities were prepared to take legal recourse for settling the dispute, the Union shipping ministry is purportedly against such action.

On January 20 this year, the Orissa government had shot off a letter to the Centre on the issue.

The revised limits of KoPT extends more than 200 km south of Haldia into the Bay of Bengal, covering an area of 28646 sq km, blocking the entire coast of North Orissa where seven ports are being developed.