HC wants Tribunal to explain question of jurisdiction

Madras High Court today directed the National Green Tribunal to explain on the issue of its jurisdiction to entertain an application against the Rs.2300 crore Kayatharu 400 KV transmission line from Kayatharu to Ottiyambakkam in Kancheepuram undertaken by TANTRANSCO.
The First Bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M.M. Sundresh before whom the petition filed by TANTRANSCO came up, in its interim order, said the bench has been informed that the matter was next listed before the National Green Tribunal on March 12 rpt March 12. TANTRANSCO was raising "the preliminary issue of jurisdiction itself of the Tribunal."

The matter in issue relates to energizing the electricity transmission line, requiring urgent attention and it is the say of the senior Counsel for the petitioner that apart from the jurisdiction issue, there cannot be a mandatory order to shift the line to another route and that too, through the Reserved Forest area, the bench said.
"We expect the Tribunal to bestow its consideration on the aforesaid issue, at least by the next date of hearing, so that the opinion is available before us."
The Bench then posted the matter for further hearing to March 31.
TANTRASCO submitted that it was executing the transmission line and it had been proposed to erect 2058 towers for 748 km. The stringing of conductors for 710 km had been completed. Of this 588 km had been energized. The project is scheduled to be completed by June this year.

K G Mohanaraman of Kayar village approached the NGT against laying towers in Kayar and Venbedu villages in Kacheepuram district by TANTRANSCO and obtained an interim order restraining it from laying the towers.
Following this, TANTRANSCO filed a writ petition in the High Court questioning the jurisdiction of NGT in entertaining the application.