Central vista: SC seeks Centre's response on plea for more space for judges

Central Vista redevelopment project is the ongoing construction work to revamp Parliament, central government’s offices, and other key buildings in New Delhi’s Lutyens zone.

The Supreme Court on Monday sought the Centre’s response on a petition seeking development of a “judicial vista” on land adjoining the present premises of the court to provide more work space to judges, lawyers and officials besides enhancing facilities for litigants.

The Supreme Court posted the matter for Tuesday and sought the presence of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to indicate the stand of the Centre on the matter.

“Just like you have Central Vista, it is a logical and correct thing to have a judicial vista in a planned manner,” a bench of justices Vineet Saran and JK Maheshwari said.

Central Vista redevelopment project is the ongoing construction work to revamp Parliament, central government’s offices, and other key buildings in New Delhi’s Lutyens zone.

The court was hearing a petition filed in public interest by advocate Ardhendumauli Kumar Prasad, who is also the secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association, when it made the remark. In his plea, Prasad said that “the infrastructure that is available at the Supreme Court is disproportionate to the growth of the Court in terms of number of judges, the registry, the bar, and most important the volume of cases.”

The petitioner also demanded an independent central authority under the administrative control of the Chief Justice of India to look into the infrastructural requirement of the judiciary across the country.

Posting the matter for Tuesday and seeking the presence of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to indicate the stand of the Centre on the matter, the bench said: “The Supreme Court must have a proper establishment to work properly. At present, the growth of buildings is unplanned with something coming up here and something there.”