CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Tuesday issued a notice to the Centre on plea filed by DMK LS Member S Ramalingam challenging the ‘legislative competence’ of Parliament in enacting the Dam Safety Act, 2021.
The first bench of Acting Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice PD Audikesavalu passed the order after senior counsel and DMK MP P Wilson, who appeared for the petitioner, contended that Parliament cannot legislate laws on List II entry 17 of the Constitution and it is against ‘cooperative federalism’.
He also sought for the court to restrain the Centre from constituting the Dam Safety Authority and National Committee for Dam Safety as contemplated under the Act. The bench directed the Centre to file its response within three weeks.
The petition said the Act has the effect of taking control over all major dams in the State and will completely denude the States’ control over dams located inside and outside their territory. The Dam Safety Act, 2021, passed in December, met stiff resistance from the opposition in the Rajya Sabha. They objected to various provisions of the Act.