SC PAVES WAY FOR DISMANTLING OF INS VIRAAT
The Supreme Court Monday dismissed a plea of a private firm seeking preservation of India’s decommissioned aircraft carrier ‘Viraat’ and its conversion into a museum.
A bench of chief justice SA Bobde and justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian took note of the fact that the ministry of defence has refused to accept the representation of private firm Envitech Marine Consultants Pvt Ltd that the decommissioned aircraft carrier be preserved. “
You cannot do this. The (Bombay) high court had allowed you to give representation to the government. You did it. The government (MoD dismissed it. You did not challenge it,” the bench said.
In the proceedings conducted through video conferencing, the bench refused to accept submissions of Rupali Sharma, representative of Envitech.
The Supreme Court Monday dismissed a plea of a private firm seeking preservation of India’s decommissioned aircraft carrier ‘Viraat’ and its conversion into a museum.
A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian took note of the fact that the Ministry of Defence has refused to accept the representation of private firm Envitech Marine Consultants Pvt Ltd that the decommissioned aircraft carrier be preserved.
“You cannot do this. The ( Bombay) high court had allowed you to give representation to the government. You did it. The government (Ministry of Defence) dismissed it. You did not challenge it,” the bench said.
In the proceedings conducted through video conferencing, the bench refused to accept submissions of Rupali Sharma, representative of Envitech Marine, that this is a “national treasury” and needed to be saved.
Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan appeared for Shree Ram Group ,which had purchased the ship, and said, “they had approached the Ministry of Defence. Ministry says no. The matter ends. The petition has to be disposed of.”
Earlier on April 5, the SC asked the petitioner firm to file its response on the report of status of dismantling.
The centaur-class aircraft carrier, INS Viraat, was in service with the Indian Navy for 29 years before being decommissioned in March 2017.
‘ Viraat’ had reached the Alang ship breaking yard in Gujarat from Mumbai in September last year and the dismantling process was going on.