The government was on Tuesday asked by the Supreme Court to expeditiously convey its stand on a report of an expert body which allegedly has doubted the feasibility of the controversial Sethusamudram project.

The apex court said the Centre’s response to the report of the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) was necessary as it had reserved the verdict on July 30, 2008 asking the expert committee headed by environmentalist R K Pachauri to examine the feasibility of pushing the project through an alternative route instead of Rama Setu.

“You state what is the report. What would be your stand as the report is with you and you have to take some decision,” a Bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and justices R V Raveendran and J M Panchal said.

The Bench was hearing an application moved by Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy seeking scrapping of the controversial Sethusamudram project claiming that NIO which is the expert body of government has doubted its feasibility.

The Bench, which made it clear that it was not passing any order at this stage, said since the matter has been pending for 15 months after it reserved the verdict on the bunch of petitions challenging the execution of the project, the government has to dispose its stand.

“Because you (government) are coming out with the report, the matter was kept pending for quite sometime. What he (Swamy) is saying is since the matter has been pending you have to dispose of with your stand,” the Bench told Additional Solicitor General Haren Raval, who questioned Swamy’s claims about the report.