E-Paper
No SC stay on Central Vista project
Petitioner Rajeev Suri, an advocate, had moved the court challenging the Centre’s notification on March 20 for changing the land use for the proposed project.
The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to stay the Central Vista Redevelopment Project for the time being, saying there is no pressing urgency for granting one because the country is in a state of lockdown to check the spread of Covid-19. “During Covid-19, nobody is going to do anything. There is no urgency...” Chief Justice of India SA Bobde remarked.
Petitioner Rajeev Suri, an advocate, had moved the court challenging the Centre’s notification on March 20 for changing the land use for the proposed project.
The redevelopment plan includes a new Parliament building, and a common secretariat for central government offices . Almost all opposition parties have urged the Centre to shelve the project and spend the money instead on the fight against Covid-19. The total project is expected to cost around Rs 20,000 crore.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the Centre, defended the project. “Parliament is being constructed. Why is there a problem?”
The court said another petition by Suri on the same issue is pending before it. That petition, which was initially filed before the Delhi high court, was transferred to the Supreme Court on March 6. The court disposed of Suri’s fresh petition while granting him the liberty to amend the pending petition.
“The Supreme Court has granted liberty to amend the writ petition challenging the Central Vista project which is pending. In the order today, there is no rejection of prayer. In this pending petition, the Supreme Court has already passed an order that the proposal of the government in regard to the Central Vista will be subject to the outcome of the pending writ petition,” said Suri.
He added that Mehta has also accepted the notice and sought time to file a counter-affidavit . “There is no refusal to stay. Today, it granted liberty to amend the writ pending.”
Suri and another petitioner, Lt Colonel (retd) Anuj Srivastava, moved the high court in February challenging a Delhi Development Authority (DDA) notification on December 21 regarding changes in land use for the redevelopment. He challenged the alterations envisaged by the Centre, arguing that the DDA is not vested with the requisite power to bring about such changes. Suri submitted the power, if at all, for bringing about such changes lies with the Centre.
Srivastava challenged the public hearings held to raise objections to the exercise, arguing that they were a mere formality devoid of any meaningful exercise.
A single-judge bench of the high court on February 11 granted them interim relief and ordered the DDA to approach it before notifying any of the proposed changes in the land use. “In case a decision is taken to notify the proposed changes in Master Plan Delhi 2020-21, the DDA will approach the court before notifying such decision,” the high court ordered while issuing notices to the Centre and the DDA.
A high court division bench comprising Chief Justice D N Patel and justice C Hari Shankar stayed the order of the single judge on February 28. Suri then approached the Supreme Court.
The Centre subsequently notified change in the land use on March 20 which Suri challenged in his fresh plea before the Supreme Court .
