Apex Court allows foundation ceremony for Central Vista project after Centre promises to stop all work at Site

On Monday, the Centre told the Apex Court that it won't carry out any construction, demolition or translocation of trees at the site of the Central Vista project in the heart of national capital Delhi till the Supreme Court decides on petitions challenging the project.

However, the Court has allowed the Govt to go ahead with the ground-breaking ceremony & complete the paperwork related to the project. The SC’s nod comes three days before PM Narendra Modi is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for a new Parliament building that was proposed as part of the mega project on Thursday, Dec 10. The building is estimated to cost Rs 971 crore.

A bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar, Dinesh Maaheshwari & Sanjiv Khanna held a special hearing in the case - it has already reserved its verdict on the petitions against the project - & indicated their displeasure to Solicitor General Tushar Mehta at reports that the agencies had started work on the ground before their ruling.

The Bench observed that “It should not be a fait accompli presented to the court…. Stop at the foundation laying ceremony. Some deference must be shown to the court".

The Judges indicated that they might pass a stay order if no statement is forthcoming from the Centre.

Solicitor General Mehta took a 5 minute break to take instructions from the Govt & returned with a promise that all physical work being carried out at the site will be put in abeyance till the court’s verdict.

The Supreme Court recorded the SG’s statement & said, “We clarify that the authorities will be free to undertake other formal processes, including continuing with the foundation laying ceremony programme on Dec 10, without altering the site in question in any manner.”

Mehta informed the Supreme Court that construction is yet to commence & trees were being translocated to a nursery. He submitted that no demolition activity is being carried out.

The Court, citing a press release, indicating construction work to commence shortly, said, “The fact that we have not granted stay does not mean that you can do everything.”

Last month on Nov 5, the Court reserved orders on a batch of 10 pleas filed by Rajeev Suri, Anuj Srivastava & others which challenged the manner in which the Central Vista project got various clearances.

The petitions alleged that the project has been planned by destroying heritage buildings & giving unified building bye-laws a go by.

The redevelopment plan includes a new Parliament building, & a common secretariat for central government offices along with the Prime Minister office & residence, Special Protection Group building & Vice-President Enclave.

Apart from a new parliament building, the Central Vista project involves constructing a common Central Secretariat along with residences of Prime Minister & vice-president, & a revamp of the 3-km-long Rajpath, from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate.

The new triangular parliament complex often described as the centre-piece of the Central Vista project, will be big enough to house 1,224 MPs lawmakers — 888 in the Lok Sabha & 384 in the Upper House. It is targeted to be built by 2024. The 64,500 sq m new building will replace the 93 years old existing Parliament house. 

Source Link