Delhi HC to hear PIL against Tata Camelot housing project
The Delhi high court on Monday fixed July 30 for hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) against the grant of approvals by various authorities to the Tata Camelot Housing project near Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh.
The Delhi high court on Monday fixed July 30 for hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) against the grant of approvals by various authorities to the Tata Camelot Housing project near Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh.
The apex court had earlier stayed the ambitious housing project by reversing the go-ahead granted to it by the Punjab and Haryana high court.
Later, the Supreme Court transferred the plea to the Delhi high court and asked it to decide the matter by August 31.
The PIL was transferred to the Delhi high court after it was alleged that the beneficiaries included some of the judges of Punjab and Haryana high court and top bureaucrats of the state. A bench comprising chief justice G Rohini and justice RS Endlaw had earlier issued notices to the ministry of environment and forests, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Chandigarh administration and the Tata Camelot Housing Colony.
‘Tata Camelot’ is a Rs 1,800crore building project having 92,100 flats in 19 towers, ranging between 12 and 35 storeys and is slated to be raised on 53.39 acres near the Chandigarh Capitol Complex.
Besides seeking summoning of records related to the project, the plea had also sought issuance of a direction to restrain the respondents (Centre and others) from commencing the work, including construction, sale and allotment of flats.
The PIL had raised issue of permissibility of the project alleging that it was in violation of Punjab New Capital Periphery Control Act.
It also alleged the project fell within the catchment area of Sukhna Lake and was in proximity of wildlife sanctuary, declared a reserved forest area.
The PIL said if the land and its surrounding areas were allowed to be urbanised “it would result in the degradation of the habitat and disturb thousands of migratory birds which came every year to the lake”.