Court warns company for false submission of fact

BANGALORE:  The High Court on Wednesday warned Maruthi Power (Gen) Private Limited (MPPL) for making a false submission stating that the company has completed 70 per cent work of a mini-hydel project at Kagneri and Kenchankumari Reserved Forests in Sakleshpur taluk in Hassan.The division bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice Ashok B Hinchigeri warned the company while hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by Bangalore resident Prashanth Yavagal and Western Ghats Environment Forum. The respondents had submitted that they be allowed to continue the work as they had made huge investments and completed 70 per cent of the work.They submitted that `2 crore has been spent on construction of an approach road and two bridges across streams of Yettinhole and Hongadalla, while `1.2 crore has been given to Forest Department towards felling, forest land net value, compensatory afforestation and catchment area treatment plan in the forest areas.Also, they furnished more work details and stated that 70 percent of the project, taken up at a cost of `54 crore, has been completed.The bench which dug into the details of expenditure made on the project which was submitted as an affidavit found that the company had spent about 13.75 crore out of the total project cost of 54 crore and said, “As per your submission it is only 25 per cent of the work is complete,” the bench said.When the counsel said that tenders have been awarded for work and supply of products, the court questioned how it amounts to 70 percent of work. “You are making a false submission to the court. We can take action for perjury for this,” the bench warned and adjourned the matter.The petitioner had moved the High Court against the increasing mini hydel power plants in the western ghats seeking a direction against it. The petitioner had stated that these mini dams have been destroying the forest in the state.