Central Vista project: Delhi HC to hear plea today on staying construction amid raging COVID-19 pandemic

The bench of Justice DN Patel and Justice Jasmeet Singh on Monday asked senior advocate Siddharth Luthra to file an application and said they will hear the matter tomorrow (Tuesday).

File pic: Zee News

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday (May 12) will hear the plea seeking direction to stop or suspend all construction activity of the Central Vista Avenue Redevelopment Project in compliance with orders issued by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority in view of the rising number of coronavirus cases, an ANI report said.

According to the report, the plea states that at a time when the city of Delhi is grappling with a devastating coronavirus outbreak and when all efforts, particularly and more so by the state and its agencies, have to be towards controlling the spiralling situation, the impugned acts of the Respondents, will nullify and negate all those efforts.

The matter was mentioned by senior advocate Siddharth Luthra for preponement of the date of hearing as it was earlier listed for May 17 for a detailed hearing.

The bench of Justice DN Patel and Justice Jasmeet Singh on Monday asked him to file an application and said they will hear the matter tomorrow (Tuesday). Senior Advocate Sidharth Luthra also informed the bench about the Supreme Court's direction in this regard.

Earlier on May 7, the Supreme Court urged Delhi High Court to consider the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by petitioner Anya Malhotra seeking a stay in construction work of the Central Vista project in New Delhi amid the prevailing condition of coronavirus cases across the country. The top court asked the High Court to issue orders related to the matter.

Petitioners Anya Malhotra and Sohail Hashmi were represented by senior advocate Sidharth Luthra in the matter who stated that the petition is concerned with the ongoing construction activity in the part of the Central Vista Redevelopment Project designated as 'Central Vista Avenue Redevelopment Project' and is challenging the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and CPWD's relentless, unmindful and reckless act of carrying on this project in a manner that poses a threat to the lives of the citizens of Delhi and beyond.

Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, who appeared for the Union of India, had opposed the plea and said that the petition is of doubtful credentials.

The Central Vista Development Project envisages the construction of a new Parliament building, a common secretariat for central government offices, the Prime Minister's office and residence, the Special Protection Group building and the Vice-President Enclave. 

The construction work for the project is being carried out since January 5, 2021, after the Supreme Court dismissed Petitions challenging the project. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the project in December 2020. 

The Project intends to revamp 86 acres of land in Delhi, which includes Rajpath, Parliament House, Rashtrapati Bhavan, India Gate, North Block and South Block, Shastri Bhavan, India Gate, and Udyog Bhavan.

(With Agency Inputs)