Govt. leaves Ram Sethu issue for Court to decide

New Delhi (PTI): After months of differences within, the government on Thursday decided to seek vacation of stay in the Supreme Court on the controversial Sethusamudram project noting that no study has been conducted to determine whether or not the bridge between India and Sri Lanka was man-made.
The Cabinet Committee of Political Affairs (CCPA), chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, which met for a second time in three days, cleared the affidavit to be filed in the Supreme Court next week.
In the 90-page affidavit, the government maintains that no archaeological study has been undertaken to determine whether Ram Setu is man-made or natural and without any such survey no final conclusion can be drawn, sources said.
The affidavit seeks vacation of the stay on the work on the Sethusamudram project leaving the decision on clearing the project to the court, sources said.
The Shipping Ministry has been pressing for pursuing the project urgently but the Culture Ministry has been seeking to tread cautiously considering the associated religious sentiments that could flare up.
"By not taking a clear cut stand on the issue, the government will leave it to the Supreme Court to decide on the matter now," they said.
The CCPA was also attended by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, Culture Minister Ambika Soni, Law Minister HR Bhardwaj and Shipping Minister TR Baalu.
The Hindu; Friday, February 29, 2008 : 0300 Hrs