Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday granted
permission to two former judges to hold a public meeting for
the second time to hear villagers` grievances in connection to
the proposed nuclear power plant at Jaitapur in coastal
Maharashtra.
A division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice
R S Dalvi was hearing a petition filed by villager Premanand
Tiwarkar who stated villagers are opposed to the power plant.
According to the petition, a public meeting was held in
south Mumbai by retired judges A P Shah and S D Pandit in May
but the villagers could not attend it. Hence, they sought
a fresh meeting to be held in Jaitapur.
Tiwarkar approached the high court as Ratnagiri district
collector under the Bombay Police Act has restrained public
gathering in and around the proposed site to maintain law and
order.
The petitioners argued that the public meeting is a
peaceful affair to help locals voice their grievances.
Accepting the arguments, the court permitted the public
meeting to be held but with the rider that maximum 20
villagers can attend the hearing at a time.
PTI
