Big Victory To Odisha Government As Supreme Court Dismisses All Petitions Against Srimandira Heritage Corridor Project

New Delhi: In a big development today, the Supreme Court has dismissed all the two petitions filed against the Srimandira Heritage Corridor Project today. The Supreme Court has also termed the petitions as frivolous and imposed a penalty of Rs 1 lakh each on both the petitioners.

The Supreme Court said the appeals being without any substance are dismissed with cost. The Supreme Court Bench comprising Justices B R Gavai and Hima Kohli who had reserved the orders yesterday, pronounced the orders today.

The petitioners had approached the SC alleging illegal excavation and construction work by the Odisha Government at the iconic Shree Jagannath Temple premises at Puri. The Supreme Court said, huge hue and cry was made that construction was against ASI report, however note of the Director General would falsify this position. The High Court recorded the Advocate General’s position that no archeological remains are missed out or damaged. Even If the appellants had any genuine concern, it was already taken care of by inpugned order.

The SC observed the activities undertaken by the State are in tune with SC’s directions in Mrinalini case, necessary in larger public interest. It also observed “We find no merits in appellants’ contention. We are of view that PIL is detrimental to public interest at large.”

In recent past, it is noticed there is mushroom growth of Public Interest Litigations and in many such petitions they are either publicity interest litigation or personal interest litigation. We highly deprecate the practice of filing such petitions and are nothing but abuse of law, The Supreme Court observed.

They encroach on relevant judicial time, its high time they are nipped in the bud, so development activities are nor stalled. The appeals being without any substance are dismissed with cost.