SUPREME COURT POSTS MATTER ON 7 DECEMBER
The Tamnar project promoters, Goa Tamnar Transmission Project Ltd., have now moved the Supreme Court to intervene and provide relief in the matter of obtaining a conversion sanad for the plots on which the sub-station is proposed at Sangod village, Mollem.
The IA has been filed by Tamnar in the Civil Appeal filed by the Goa Foundation formally appealing an NGT order dealing with the criteria for defining forests in the State of Goa. The IA was verified on 14 August, 2021, but only came up last week (see order attached).
When the Goa Foundation appeal was filed in 2015, the Supreme Court granted an interim stay restraining the Goa government from granting any conversion certificate for any plot of land in excess of one hectare and having a canopy density of 10% and above. That order is still in force. The Supreme Court is yet to hear the Goa Foundation appeal. The delay is due to the arrears that have piled up before the Supreme Court due to Covid regulations.
The crucial document in the Tamnar IA is the minutes at pp.226-228. It records a meeting with the Ministry of Power which provides the context to the IA filed by Tamnar. The relevant pages have been enclosed, together with High Court orders on the same matter (Goa Foundation petition before the Bombay High Court).