Centre, KoPT get weeks time to file objections

CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Thursday granted a week’s time to the Centre and the Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) to file objections to the petitions filed by the State Government, Dhamra Port Company Limited and Subarnarekha Port challenging the extension of the KoPT limits. The Division Bench of Chief Justice V Gopalagowda and Justice BN Mohapatra  has also asked the Centre to file its reply on the PIL filed by Dillip Mohapatra of the Keonjhar Nabanirman Samiti and posted hearing in the case to next week. The petitioner, while challenging the November 10, 2010 notification of the Kolkata Port, alleged that the same would incapacitate the developmental  plans of the Orissa Government in boosting its maritime activities. The extension of the jurisdiction of KoPT would affect the upcoming ports of Bichitrapur,  Subarnarekha mouth, Bahabalpur, Inchudi, Chandipur, Chudamani and Dhamra ports in the State. The High Court in its interim order, passed on May 5, had restrained the Kolkata Port authorities and the Centre from taking any action hurriedly over the proposed alteration of the port limit. It had also advised the authorities ‘not to precipitate the matter’. During the hearing of the petition, Advocate General Ashok Mohanty stated that in spite of the interim order for not precipitating the matter, KoPT has acted on the contrary. Violating the order, it has gone ahead making statements on the progress of the extension of its limits. The violations are substantiated from the press statements on tendering processes, etc for expansion of the port limits, he submitted. However, the KoPT submitted that no action had been taken that would violate the interim order. It has also filed counter to the PIL stating that the petitioner has no cause of action or public claim to agitate over the matter.