The National Highways Authority Of India vs. Pandarinathan Govindarajulu

<pre>Court 5 (Video Conferencing)</pre> ITEM NO.33 SECTION XII

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS

Petition(s) for Special Leave to Appeal (C) No(s). 8665-8667/2020

(Arising out of impugned final judgment and order dated 08-01-2020 in WP No. 21883/2019 08-01-2020 in WP No. 15217/2019 08-01-2020 in WP No. 14997/2019 passed by the High Court Of Judicature At Madras)

THE NATIONAL HIGHWAYS AUTHORITY OF INDIA Petitioner(s)

VERSUS

PANDARINATHAN GOVINDARAJULU & ANR.

Respondent $(s)$

IA No. 57817/2020 - APPLICATION FOR EXEMPTION FROM FILING ORIGINAL VAKALATNAMA/OTHER DOCUMENT IA No. 102440/2020 - APPLICATION FOR PERMISSION IA No. 102442/2020 - EXEMPTION FROM FILING AFFIDAVIT IA No. 85634/2020 - EXEMPTION FROM FILING AFFIDAVIT IA No. 71794/2020 - EXEMPTION FROM FILING AFFIDAVIT IA No. 57814/2020 - EXEMPTION FROM FILING C/C OF THE IMPUGNED JUDGMENT IA No. 71243/2020 - EXEMPTION FROM FILING O.T. IA No. 57815/2020 - EXEMPTION FROM FILING O.T. IA No. 71268/2020 - EXEMPTION FROM PAYING COURT FEE IA No. 71241/2020 - PERMISSION TO FILE ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS/FACTS/ANNEXURES IA No. 57809/2020 - PERMISSION TO FILE ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS/FACTS/ANNEXURES IA No. 57812/2020 - PERMISSION TO FILE LENGTHY LIST OF DATES WITH

$SLP(C)$ No. 8651/2020 (IV-A)

(FOR PERMISSION TO FILE LENGTHY LIST OF DATES ON IA 54806/2020 FOR EXEMPTION FROM FILING O.T. ON IA 54807/2020 FOR PERMISSION TO FILE ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS/FACTS/ANNEXURES ON IA 54808/2020 FOR EXEMPTION FROM FILING AFFIDAVIT ON IA 54809/2020 FOR PERMISSION TO FILE ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS/FACTS/ANNEXURES ON IA 64156/2020 FOR CLUBBING OF SIMILAR SLPS FOR PROPER ADJUDICATION ON IA 64157/2020 FOR 85633/2020 EXEMPTION FROM FILING AFFIDAVIT ON $\mathbf{I}\mathbf{A}$ FOR STAY APPLICATION ON IA 101890/2020 FOR PERMISSION TO FILE ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS/FACTS/ANNEXURES ON IA 101891/2020 FOR EXEMPTION FROM FILING AFFIDAVIT ON IA 101892/2020

Signature Not Verified<br>09:55:46 IS<br>Reason: $\overline{\phantom{a}}$		Digital Signal Archive : 07-12-2020 These matters were called on for hearing today.
CORAM		HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE L. NAGESWARA RAO

HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE HEMANT GUPTA HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE AJAY RASTOGI

For Petitioner(s) Mr. K.K. Venugopal, Attorney General for India Mr. Santosh Kumar, Adv. Mr. Bibin Kurian, Adv. Mr. Santosh Kumar - I, AOR For Respondent(s) Mr. A. Yogeshwaran, Adv. Ms. Poong Khulali B., Adv. Mr. T. V. S. Raghavendra Sreyas, AOR Mr. Siddarth Vasudev, Adv. Ms. Aishwarya Bhati, ASG Ms. Swati Ghildiyal, Adv. Mr. Akshay Amritanshu, Adv. Mr. Digivjay Dam, Adv. Mr. Shantanu Sharma, Adv. Mr. Gurmeet Singh Makker, AOR Ms. Anita Shenoy, Sr. Adv. Ms. Srishti Agnihotri, AOR Mr. Prince Isac, Adv. Ms. Sanjana Grace Thomas, Adv. Ms. Anmol Gupta, Adv. Mr. V. N. Raghupathy, AOR UPON hearing the counsel the Court made the following O R D E R

SLP (C) No(s). 8665-8667/2020:

Heard the learned counsel appearing for the parties.

Leave granted.

Arguments concluded.

Judgment reserved.

SLP(C) No. 8651/2020:

Respondent Nos. 1 to 3 filed a Writ Petition in the Karnataka High Court complaining of environmental clearance not being taken for expansion of the Highway between Belgaum to Panjim for a distance of 153.075 kms.

By an order dated 31.10.2019, the High Court directed the Union of India to file a statement relating to the environmental clearance which has been obtained and the period of the

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environmental clearance. As the required affidavit was not filed, as directed, the High Court passed interim relief in terms of the prayer made in para 37. Aggrieved by the said order, the above Special Leave Petition has been filed.

Mr. K.K. Venugopal, learned Attorney General for India informed this Court that the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF & CC) has already filed an affidavit on 09.03.2020 contending that no environmental clearance is required. As the response of MoEF & CC is on record, the High Court is requested to dispose of the Writ Petition at the earliest, preferably, within a period of two weeks as the expansion of a National Highway has been stalled for over a period of one year.

The Special Leave Petition is disposed of.

Pending applications also stand disposed of.

(R. NATARAJAN) (ANAND PRAKASH) ASTT. REGISTRAR-cum-PS BRANCH OFFICER