HC orders notice to authorities on PIL on GAIL project

Madras High Court today ordered issue of notice to authorities including Petroleum Ministry and Transport Department secretaries and GAIL CMD on a petitiom seeking direction to Tamil Nadu government on taking steps for implementation of gas pipeline laying work in the state.
Petitioner S Tamizharasan, President, Consumer Rights Protection Committee, said Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Authority had given authorisation to Gas Authority of India Ltd for laying the network which would pave way for Southern Gas Grid and people of the state would be benefited in numerous ways including industrial development.
He sought a direction to the state government to take necessary steps for implementation of Kochi-Kottanad-Bangalore -Mangalore gas pipeline laying work.

Once the pipeline was laid all the public transport vehicles in the state would get converted to use green fuel. In cities like Delhi, the level of sulphur dioxide in the air had come down by 39 per cent and carbon monoxide by 32 per cent due to CNG vehicles.
Government has already spent crores of rupees and machinery had come to Coimbatore, Salem, Erode, Namakkal and Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri and Tirupur. City Gas distribution network development would take place in 28 cities/towns. But some real estate people were spreading misinformation campaign and instigating farmers to obstruct pipeline laying by the GAIL, the petitioner alleged.

He sought a direction to the secretaries of Industries and Home departments and Director General of Police to provide administrative support for the project.
A Division Bench of Justice S Rajeswaran and Justice T Mathivanan ordered issue of notice to state government officials and Secretaries of Petroleum Ministry and Transport department and CMD of Gail and posted the case for hearing on July 12.