HC says unhappy with delay in Chandni Chowk revamp

A bench of justice Hima Kohli and justice Subramonium Prasad was hearing a bunch of pleas in connection with the redevelopment of the Chandni Chowk area, including a suo motu petition initiated by the court on the basis of news reports that the project has been derailed.

The Delhi high court on Wednesday expressed its displeasure with various authorities, including the Delhi government’s public works department (PWD) and the Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC), handling the revamp work of the Chandni Chowk area, for their failure to address the delay in completing the work on time.

The redevelopment project was supposed to have been completed by May this year but was delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. (Ajay Agarwal/HT Photos)

A bench of justice Hima Kohli and justice Subramonium Prasad was hearing a bunch of pleas in connection with the redevelopment of the Chandni Chowk area, including a suo motu petition initiated by the court on the basis of news reports that the project has been derailed.

The redevelopment project was supposed to have been completed by May this year but was delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

On Wednesday, advocate Naushad Ahmed Khan, additional standing counsel of the Delhi government, representing the PWD, told the court that he had filed a status report a day before but it has not been taken on record. As per that report, work was delayed because of encroachments, including a temple, in Chandni Chowk.

He told the court that the main stretch of the market has been completed and only certain intersections remain to be finished while adding that work would be completed by December 31. He urged the court that even the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NrDMC) should be made a party to the case.

Following this, the court directed the civic body to be impleaded as a party while also asking all local bodies, including the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) and the Delhi traffic police to file their respective status reports, indicating the work pending at their ends.

The PWD, DJB, DUSIB, traffic police and the SRDC refused comment on the matter.

The court also noted, “Though notices were issued to several authorities, not even one of them have filed their status reports much less coming prepared to the court with instructions”.

It also rejected a plea by Delhi Gurdwara Sikh Management Committee (DSGMC) to allow parking near the Sis Ganj Gurdwara for devotees, while stating that if a policy has been put in place by the government, then it cannot be changed for anyone.