Govt under process of granting national heritage status to Ram Setu: Centre tells SC

The Central government on Thursday said that the Ministry of Culture is under the process of considering the matter regarding granting National Heritage status to the 'Ram Setu' bridge.

New Delhi: The Central government on Thursday informed the Supreme Court that the Ministry of Culture is in the process of considering the matter regarding granting National Heritage status to 'Ram Setu'.The bench comprising of CJI DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha was hearing the petition filed by Rajya Sabha MP Dr Subramanian Swamy who sought directions to declare Ram Setu as National Heritage.

Back in 2007, Swamy had filed the petition in view of the Sethu Samundram Ship Channel project, an 83 km long channel linking Mannar and Palk Strait, that would be created by extensive dredging and was alleged to be impacting Ram Setu. Swamy had mentioned his plea several times before the court and the matter was even listed several times but couldn't be heard as the centre was never ready with its response. Dr Swamy had complained about delays by the centre on all occasions of hearing.

Today, after a delay of months, SG Tushar Mehta, representing the centre, informed the court that the Ministry of Culture is considering granting the status of National Heritage to Ram Setu and Dr Swamy can make a representation there itself. Swamy said that back in 2019 also Culture minister Prahlad Patel had called a meeting regarding the matter.

Swamy said that he has already won the first round of the litigation in which the Centre accepted the existence of 'Ram Setu' and added that the union minister concerned had called a meeting in 2017 to consider his demand to declare the Setu as a national heritage monument but subsequently nothing happened.

"Why are they dragging their feet?" he questioned. SG Mehta said that Swamy can meet the ministry officers with his questions. "I won't meet anybody, we are in the same party. They are violating the manifesto," Swamy responded.

The court granted Dr Swamy the liberty to approach the Ministry with his additional material or communication, and asked him to approach the court in case he is aggrieved by the decision taken on his representation.

Ram Setu is a bridge made up of limestone shoals off the southeastern coast of Tamil Nadu, connecting Pamban Island near Rameswaram there to Mannar Island off the northern coast of Sri Lanka. The bridge has reference in Ramayana according to which it was constructed by Lord Ram to reach Sri Lanka to save his wife Sita.