AG clarifies govt stance to HC on Sea Scan PIL

PANJIM: Demonstration activities undertaken by the Sea Scan Marine Services on the training ground belonging to the Directorate of Fire & Emergency Services (DFES) will henceforth be conducted at an alternate venue. In its submission to the High Court (HC) of Bombay at Goa, the government informed that the Fire Department has taken the vacant possession of the premise leased out to the Sea Scan.

Advocate General (AG) Devidas Pangam placed on record a report dated November 11, 2019, which indicated that DFES has taken away the vacant possession of the leased premises utilized by Sea Scan Marine Services on November 9, 2019. The report further stated that certain practical demonstration facilities on the training ground are however not shifted by the agency, to which the HC directed the DFES to ensure that the ground is cleared within eight weeks. 

“The AG states that those practical demonstration facilities are in the nature of movables which respondent no. 2 (Sea Scan) will simply have to dismantle and take back. The respondent no. 1 (DFES) is directed to ensure that the training ground is clear within eight weeks from today,” the bench of Justices M S Sonak and C V Bhadang directed while disposing off a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by activist Kashinath Shetye and seven others on November 20. 

As regards to another prayer of the petitioners seeking recovery of the dues from Sea Scan, the AG submitted to the bench that certain payments have been made by Sea Scan. However, he pointed out that in terms of the agreement, if the students were to exceed 30, the agency was required to pay additional amount. “There may be some dues on account of these additional amounts. Proceedings in accordance with law would be initiated for recovery of these amounts, if any, and disposed off expeditiously, in any case, within six weeks from today,” the government informed the court. In view of this assurance and other prayers in the PIL being substantially redressed, the bench disposed off the petition.