The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu Government to file its counter affidavit on Gas Authority of India’s writ petition against its order stopping the portion of Kochi-Bangalore pipeline project running through the State.
The First Bench of the High Court directed the State Government to file its counter by August 6. The Gas Authority is laying the 1,146-km inter-State natural gas pipeline with a 310-km portion passing through the western districts of Tamil Nadu.
Following protests by farmers, the State Government passed an order on April 2 directing GAIL to stop laying the pipeline through open fields and align it along the highways.
GAIL has filed a Writ Petition (No. 12897 of 2013) on April 25 challenging the State Government order which also asked it to remove the pipeline and material that were in the fields.