Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
IN THE MATTER OF
P.S. SHARMAPETITIONER
V.
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
2. INDEX OF AUTHORITIES
3. STATEMENT OF JURISDICTION
4. STATEMENT OF FACTS
5. ISSUES RAISED
6. SUMMARY OF ARGUMENTS
7. WRITTEN ARGUMENTS
8. PRAYER
& And
Paragraph
AIR All India Reporter
Anr. Another
AO. Assessing Officer
CIT Commissioner of Income Tax
Ed. Edition
Govt. Government
Honble Honorable
i.e. That is
ITO Income Tax Officer
Ltd. Limited
No. Number
Ors. Others
PAN Permanent Account Number
Pvt. Private
SC Supreme Court
SCC Supreme Court Cases
TDS Tax Deducted at Source
u/s Under Section
A. Table of Cases
C. Journals Referred
D. Database Referred
www.judis.nic.in
www.lexisnexis.com
www.manupatrafast.com
www.scconline.com
www.westlaw.com
The petitioner has approached the Court under Article 32 of the Constitution of Uri,1950. The
respondent humbly submits to the jurisdiction of this Honorable court.1
1
Art 32 of the Indian Constitution
1. Initially Uri used to purchase nuclear reactors from the erstwhile Soviet Union and with
the fall of the Soviet Union it found a new ally in USA. They got engaged with new
found civil nuclear deal and started promoting nuclear power projects in a big way. The
state government of Ratnachal Pradesh, a provincial government of Uri keen to join the
elite nuclear club came up with a proposal to setup a 6660 megawatts nuclear power plant
at Vanasthalam. Vanasthalam is a sleepy village in the north coastal district of
Periyapaiem in the state of Ratnaehal Pradesh.
2. Apparently
4 villages including Vanasthalam fell within the exclusion zone,
another ten villages within the sterilized zone and a total sum of 13 villages
within the emergency planning zone.
The second biggest city of Ratnaehal Pradcsh and the densely populated district
headquarters of Periyapalem falls within the emergency planning zone of VNPP.
Approximately 3500 people would be displaced from the project site and one
lakh people live in the emergency planning zone.
3. The state govemment started the process of land acquisition in 2010 much before the
finalization of the project. It convicted people who could be convinced, built up pressure
on those who were not willing coerced those who were dead against it and acquired 1000
hectares of land at Vanasthalam in 20l2.
4. The federal and the state governments brushed aside the villagers apprehensions and went
ahead of the processes of Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) was taken up by the
Ratnachal Pollution control board at Vansthalam on HA report submitted by NPCUL was
marred by protests and police lathi charge .
5. Meanwhile in 2015 NPCUL entered into memorandum of association with the
Westinghouse Electric Company, a US based nuclear power company to build six 10
megawatts APlOOO third generation pressurized water reactors (PWRs) at Vanasthalam.
6. Westinghouse claims to be the leader and start up in advanced pressurized water reactor
(PWR) systems. APIOOO is a two looped pressurized water reactor which is considered
I. The respondents have followed (he MOEF & CC process 0] environmental clearance
under Environmental Impact Assessmem Nott/ication.2006 and does not need to comply
with the CRZ notification.
i. The petitioner has claimed that the respondents have not followed the due process and
that their clearance are not competent enough. The petitioner has severely mistaken
himself in this way. the Appendix lll of the Environmental Impact Assessment
Notification.2006. states that when a plan is approved it heads to be given permission on
producing of certain documents, which has already happened in the terms of reference
with which the permission was granted.
ii. The CRZ notification of 20, does not apply on the present project, the beginning of any
project is when the proposal of that project is accepted. The project was accepted in 2008
and hence is governed by the CRZ notification of 199], which states that an atomic
energy project does not need to obtain a clearance.
II. Nuclear reactors manufactured by the respondents are safe. Sound and quality products.
i. The product APlOOO is an advance version of AP600 and is evolutionary uses a two
looped pressurized water reactor which is considered to be an evolutionary improvement
over AP600. They are known for simplification of safety systems, normal operating
systems, construction techniques, instrumentation and control systems which make them
easier and less expensive to build. Operate and maintain.
ii. It has certification from Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) of USA in 2005, is in
use in China and Kudankoolam project in India.
III. Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage, 2010 is constitutional.
In a Kerela High Court judgement the act was held constitutional, by stating that the
CNLD doesnot deviate from the established decisions of the SC on absolute liability;
tribunals accepts the high technical competence of AERB.
IV. Nuclear Energy is the best way to meet future energy requirements.
Nuclear Energy does not contribute to GHG emissions and that it is clean and cost effective.
2
APPENDIX III of EIA.GENERIC STRUCTURE OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESMENT
3
(2013) 6 SCC 620
In the circumstance of closure or stoppage of work the government would be liable to pay
compensation to Westington Ltd. Which has been established in R. v Inspectorate of Pollution
Ex I). Greenpeace Ltd. (No.1)6, Where an applicant in proceedings for judicial review seeks
interim relief in the form of the stay of statutory permission granted to a third party who is not
involved in the proceedings. the court must apply the same balancing principles in exercising its
discretion as it would apply where the third party was a party to the judicial review proceedings.
0 had been allowed leave to apply for judicial review of the decision by the relevant
governmental authorities to allow a third party to begin on Operation involving the reprocessing
of nuclear materials. G applied also for the permission to be suspended until the hearing of the
judicial review applications This was refused and G appealed.
Held. dismissing the appeal, that as G had given no cross undertaking in damages to compensate
the third party for any loss it may suffer should the permission to begin operations be suspended.
the judge had been correct in refusing the application.
ii. The project had been established in the year of 2008 when the proposal was accepted by
the Government of Uri, the initialization of any project is from the date on which its
proposal is accepted. This means that the plan does not need to take permission under
CRZ notification. 201 l. we should be governed under CRZ notification, l99l, which
permits exemption to the projects of ministry of atomic energy.
4
Paragraph 2, Environmental Protection Nuclear Damage
5
2013 Indlaw AP 528
6
(1994) W.L.R 570
M, an opponent of nuclear weapons, appealed against a decision ([200l] EWHC Admin 267) that
authorizations granted by E under the Radioactive Substances Act I993 for the discharge of
nuclear waste from two military installations where Trident nuclear warheads were manufactured
were not unlawful. M argued that the authorizations would only be lawful if E had regard to the
justification principle" stipulated in Council Directive (Euratom) 80/836 Art.6(l), made under
the Euratom Treaty 1957 Title 2 Chapter lll. E submitted. inter alia, that the Directive had not
been engaged as Title 2 Chapter III of the Treaty did not apply to military installations.
Held, dismissing the appeal, that E had acted lawfully under the 5.13) Of the Act when it had
granted the authorisations. The courts did not have jurisdiction to review the merits of
Government defence policy and therefore E could not be criticised for treating Tridents status as
a benefit as indisputable for the purposes of the justification principle. In the opinion of Laws,
LJ. Chapter III of the Treaty had no application to military uses. application to military uses.
The permissions granted were essential and were according to the law and did not need a public
opinion going by the case of R. v Secretary umete for the Environment Ex p. Lancashire Cd.8
in which Authorisations granted to allow a company to reproccss radioactive waste were
lawfully granted without a local inquiry. A company involved in the business of reprocessing
spent nuclear fuel was granted planning permission for a new themal oxide reprocessing plant on
its site. Once it had been completed the company applied for new authorisations for the discharge
of the radioactive waste. Dratt authorisations were made available for public consultation. The
Inspectorate for Pollution and the Department of the Environment concluded that no new matters
had been raised in the responses received to prompt any alteration of the draft authorisations. The
authorisations were challenged by Greenpeace and the local authority.
7
(2002) EWCA Civ 3
8
(1994) 2 All. E. R. 352
II. Nuclear reactors manufactured by the respondents are safe, sound and quality
products.
The technological advancements of the systems to be established are already being used in
various nations such as United States of America, China and India; they are not having any
issues with the technology in issue. The clearance given to them are in plausible ways according
to laws, the court must take into cognizance this factor.
This is a proper policy decision taken by authority after due deliberations and taking into
consideration views of various departments cannot be quashed unless same is illegal and with
malafide intention9. Neither do we have malafide intention nor do we have issue with
technology.
"62. The displacement of the tribals and other persons would not per se result in the violation of
their fundamental or other rights. The effect is to see that on their rehabilitation at new locations
they are better off than what they were. At the rehabilitation sites, they will have more and better
amenities than those they enjoyed in their tribal hamlets. The gradual assimilation in the
mainstream of the society will lead to betterment and progress."
We the authorities also believe in the same principle and hence request the court to take the
matter in the light of development and improvement.
9
Centre for Public Interest Litigation v Union of India
10
AIR 2000 SC 3751
11
(20130 6 SCC 620
12
2012 IndLaw DEL 273
13
2013 IndLaw SC 255
III. Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage, 2010 & the Atomic Energy Act,1962 is
constitutional.
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed challenging the constitutional validity of Sections
3(1), 4(2) and proviso, 4(4), 5, 6, 9(2), 15(2),16(5), 18(b), 19, 20, 32(10), 35 and 38(1) of the
Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 201014 has been dismissed by the Division Bench of
Kerala High Court comprising of Chief Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice A.M.Shafffique
on not being satisfied that the enactment suffers from any infirmity, arbitrariness or violation
of fundamental rights. The act has been promulgated to provide for civil liability for nuclear
damage and prompt compensation to the victims of a nuclear incident through a no-fault
liability regime channelling liability to the operator, appointment of Claims Commissioner,
establishmentof Nuclear Damage Claims Commission and for matters connected therewith or
incidental thereto.15 The court also upheld the competence of the Board to consider whether
any nuclear incident can cause unacceptable radiation damage or not. It went ahead to state
that claim for damages can arise only if actual damage is suffered by a person and that only
those incidents which may cause radiation damage can give rise to a claim for compensation.
Further Section 18 of the Act states that the right to claim compensation for nuclear damage
shall extinguish, if such claim is not made within a period of ten years, in the case of damage
to property and twenty years, in the case of personal injury to any person, from the date of
occurrence of the incident notified. The court in while considering the constitutionality of
this provision observed that even in the absence of such a provision, the law of limitation
applies to suit filed before a a civil court. The same limitation period is specified under the
present statute. In regard to the extinguishment of the claim, either 10 years or 20 years as the
case may be, from the date of notifying the nuclear incident. The claim in fact has to be
preferred within 3 years from the date of knowledge of the nuclear damage. Therefore
sufficient flexibility has been provided under the Act, to prefer the claim. Law of limitation is
a well accepted procedure, which is prescribed to ensure that claims are filed within a
14
http://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-profiles/countries-g-n/india.aspx
15
Yash Thomas Mannully v Union of India
IV. Nuclear Energy is the best way to meet future energy requirements.
Nearly 65 per cent of the electricity in India is generated in thermal power plants, where India
utilises its large coal resources. According to estimates, India produces 22 percent electricity
from hydroelectric power plants and only 3 per cent electricity, at present comes from nuclear
power plants. This is despite having 21 operational nuclear power plants across the country. The
rest 10 per cent is generated with the help of alternate resources like solar, wind, biomass etc.
Nuclear energy has to play an important role in Indias energy scenario from three angles. First is
that unlike renewables, nuclear sources can provide bulk energy in a certain manner (without
uncertainty) to the base load. The Kudankulalm power projects two reactors have added 2000
MW electricity to the southern states. Secondly, nuclear energy is a clean energy source and
hence is very important to attain carbon free energy economy. Thirdly, nuclear energy enhances
energy independence and energy security especially with the potential use of domestically
available thorium input use.
Now, let us delve more into the other issue that of plant safety. Throughout the history of
nuclear power generation there have been four major incidents of plant failure the Kyshtym
accident in fuel reprocessing in 1957, the relatively smaller Three Mile Island meltdown (United
States), the much bigger Chernobyl accident (USSR, 1986) and the recent Japanese incident at
Fukushima. The first accident was purely due to underdeveloped technology, and much of the
As one of the largest and fastest-growing nations on earth, India has a pressing need to develop
more electric power generation to fuel business growth and satisfy the needs of a growing middle
class. Traditional coal-burning power plants emit dangerous levels of pollution, and India lacks
sufficient natural gas resources and pipelines to allow cleaner burning gas-fired power plants.
This leaves nuclear energy as the only viable option. In France, nuclear energy safely provides
most of the generating capacity, and India must follow that model out of necessity.
The Jharia coalfields in Jharkhand constitute the richest coal-bearing area in the country:
they contain large quantities of high-grade coking coal. But the presence of this natural
resource has been a curse for the local tribal villagers. The Jharia area also has a large
number of ongoing mine fires, which have a history of more than a century and have
been causing great loss to life and property.
The entire area has been destroyed by the mining activity and rendered uninhabitable for
humans or any other life form. Sadly, it can never be restored, at least not for the next
million years. Much of the coal mined today is used for electricity generation across the
world, and there are many more Jharias being created across the rural and forest lands of
earth. These will continue to swell in numbers and size unless we find sustainable
alternative fuel sources to replace fossil fuels.16
16
http://www.world-nuclear.org/education/whyu.htm
Wherefore in the light of facts presented, issues raised, arguments advanced and authorities
cited, the Counsels on behalf of the Respondent humbly pray before this Honble
Commissioner (Appeals) that it may be pleased to adjudge and declare that:
1. The clearances received by the respondents are of right nature and have duly complied
with the provisions of the EIA notification, 2006.
2. The Project should continue and bring help Indian in becoming a hub of nuclear energy.
3. Civil Liability for Nuclear Damages to be held constitutional.
4. The powers given in Atomic Energy Act,1962 are not arbitrary, thus constitutional.
Or pass any other order that the court may deem fit in the light of equity, justice and good
conscience and for this Act of kindness of Your Lordships the Respondent shall as duty bound
ever pray.
Sd/- _______________________