The government has decided to constitute a multi-member committee of experts that will take note of ??wide-ranging public sentiments?? while giving its recommendations on alternative options over proceeding ahead with the construction of the Sethusamudram shipping channel.
The Centre will soon approach the Supreme Court with the list of panel members, which has been sent for clearance to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by the law ministry on Wednesday. It is likely to comprise of around 10 members, a top government functionary asserted this evening. The members will be experts from respective fields including archeology, geology and shipping. Law minister HR Bhardwaj has also consulted Cabinet ministers including shipping minister TR Baalu and culture minister Ambika Soni on the structure of the committee which will be function along the lines of the committee set up in the Narmada Bachaon Andolan vs Union of India case.
The committee is likely to get three months to interact with members of public as well as petitioners who have opposed the shipping channel and prepare its report on the ways in which construction of the channel can resume. While the senior government functionary refused to go into the options available, it was pointed out that an alternative alignment can be a likely solution so that the 30 km long Rama Sethu/ Adam?s bridge can be protected.
In the last hearing on September 14 before the Supreme Court, additional solicitor general Gopal Subramaniam had told the bench comprising Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan and Justice RV Raveendran that the government would get back to the court with the feasibility of alternative alignments.
Subramaniam had also asserted that the central government has ??total respect for all religions and Hinduism in particular in the context of the present case.?? Among the petitioners seeking a direction to protect and declare Rama Sethu a national monument include Janata party president Subramaniam Swamy.
The issue turned into a political controversay in the wake of an affidavit filed by the ASI, which stated that there was no evidence to prove ??the existence of the characters or the occurrence of the events?? in the Ramayana. Following objections raised by Congress president Sonia Gandhi herself among others, the government moved swiftly to announce that objectionable portions in the ASI affidavit would be withdrawn and a supplementary affidavit filed.
While the BJP has decided to make it an election issue, even passing a resolution on the matter in its national executive meet in Bhopal recently, the DMK has maintained that it is committed to completing the Sethusamudram project on schedule.