NEW DELHI: Supreme Court today refused to entertain a plea alleging that the railways were ignoring serious safety concerns raised by the experts regarding the 125-km-long Katra-Banihal section of the rail link to Kashmir and sought realignment of the project.
A bench comprising Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justice A M Khanwilkar dismissed the plea filed by NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL) which claimed that the Railway Board had rejected the expert panel's suggestions, including having an alternate alignment.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the NGO, said that Katra-Banihal rail link was a prestigious project and it cannot be completed in the present alignment.
“Even then, we won't interfere,” the bench said.
Delhi High Court on April 27 had disposed the NGO's plea after an affidavit filed by the Railway Board said that “after due consideration/examination of the Report of the ex-DMRC chief E Sreedharan Committee, the Board was fully satisfied”.
