SC to wait for final report on Sethusamudram project

The apex court said any decision on the issue will be taken after the committee submits its report in February, 2011. "At this stage, the question does not arise of passing any order," a Bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices R V Raveendran and J M Panchal said when Janata Party Chief Subramanian Swamy said the court could consider either invalidating the project or ask the authorities to examine whether Rama Setu could be declared as a historical monument.

"Now alternative alignment is being examined. The original plan has been stopped, about which you have been worried. Let's go step by step," the Bench said. The Bench said the issue of invalidating the project did not arise as "the reason is what you wanted has been achieved".

The Bench said it would not go into any other issue as its direction was categorical that the expert committee would examine the feasibility of alternative route and it would wait for the final report. "Let the final report come," the Bench said posting the matter for last week of February 2011.

The apex court considered the response of the expert committee Chairman R K Pachauri that it was not technically feasible to give any opinion or report on the basis of data collected for a shorter period of three months.