GAIL India to explore further legal options for resuming work on Rs 3,200-crore infra project

With the Madras High Court closing a contempt petition filed by farmers opposing the project, GAIL India will now explore further legal options, including approaching the Supreme Court, for restarting work on the Tamil Nadu section of the Kochi-Bangalore high pressure LNG pipeline project, which is estimated to about Rs 3200 crore. This project is a part of company’s plan to connect Kerala with Karnataka via Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu government decided to not allow the Gas Authority of India (GAIL) to proceed with its pipeline project across seven districts of Tamil Nadu. It ordered the company to immediately stop laying pipelines on the agricultural land and instead lay the same on roadsides along the national highways.

However, as per the company laying down the pipeline on the roadside along the national highways would not be possible as law does not allows the same and traffic movement would be disrupted. Further, the company also has underscored a multiple increase in costs and years of delay it would have to face with if the project was to be redesigned.