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<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">The Supreme Court on Friday directed GAIL India Ltd to maintain status quo on its INR 3,400 crore Kochi-Kuttanad-Bangalore-Mangalore natural gas pipeline project in Tamil Nadu, while strongly pitching for protecting farmers&rsquo; interests.&nbsp;</span></span></span><span style="color:rgb(105, 105, 105); font-family:arial; font-size:11px; line-height:1.6em">The apex court asked the project executors to explore the possibility of using land along the national highway.</span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">&ldquo;Why do you want to go into farmers&rsquo; house? It is very improper. You are only asking for farmers land,&rdquo; a Bench comprising Chief Justice P.Sathasivam and Justices Ranjan Gogoi and M.Y.Eqbal observed.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">While issuing notices to GAIL India and other stakeholders, asking them to respond within four weeks to the objections raised by the Tamil Nadu government and farmers from the State, the Bench said, &ldquo;In the meantime, it is directed that status quo be maintained as of today.&rdquo;</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">Posting the matter for further hearing on February 17, the Bench asked GAIL India to inform the court about the land required along the national highway for the project. &ldquo;You have to tell how much land will be required on both sides of the national highway,&rdquo; the Bench said and asked the project executors to safeguard the interests of farmers.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">The Tamil Nadu government and the farmers&rsquo; association had moved the apex court challenging a Madras High Court order, which had quashed a notification of the State government prohibiting GAIL India from implementing the project passing through agricultural lands in seven districts of the State. Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s plea was made by Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi. Additional Solicitor General L. Nageshwar Rao tried to impress upon the Bench about the national importance of the project.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">Farmers welcome order</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial"><strong>GAIL should Rework Its Project</strong></span></span></span><br /> <span style="color:rgb(105, 105, 105); font-family:arial; font-size:11px; line-height:1.6em">Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi general secretary E.R. Easwaran said GAIL should rework its project.</span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">Source-On Request</span></span></span></p>