Cuttack, June 20: The Keonjhar Navanirman Parishad (KNP) today alleged “factual inconsistencies” in the central government’s notification that had altered the limits of the Calcutta port.
The inconsistencies were the outcome of forcible application of the provisions of law, the Parishad alleged, while seeking quashing of the notification issued by the ministry of shipping on October 22, 2010 in an application for amendment to the PIL filed by it in the high court earlier.
Earlier, KNP secretary Dillip Kumar Mohapatra had filed a PIL challenging the notification issued by the Calcutta Port Trust on November 10, 2010 following approval of the central government.
Acting on it, the high court had, on May 5, issued notices to the central government and the Calcutta Port Trust while fixing June 21 for hearing on the PIL and allowing intervention petitions filed by the Calcutta Port Trust (CPT) and Dhamra Port. The court had further directed the secretary department of shipping and the Calcutta Port Trust not to take any action in a hurried manner in the matter till then.
According to the amendment petition, the “misrepresentation of facts” and “misapplication of law” is reflected in the notification while describing “the western coordinates of the extended limits, which actually fall along the eastern coast of Orissa as points lying on the west of River Hooghly”.
“This is a geographical impossibility as it means that Hooghly River flows along the eastern coast of Orissa,” the petition contended, adding: “It is clear that the provisions of the law have been forcibly applied for a purpose which is not included in the law and hence the factual inconsistencies in the notification”.
While contending that the interest of the people of Orissa will be adversely affected, the petitioner alleged that “the limits of Calcutta port has been extended in such a manner that it results in blocking access to Dhamra port from all directions so that no vessel can enter into Dhamra port without passing through limits of Calcutta Port”.
