The Supreme Court instructed central govt not to carry out any construction, demolition or translocation of trees at the site of the new parliament project till the Supreme Court decides on petitions challenging the project.
The court has, however, allowed the government to go ahead with the ground-breaking ceremony and complete the paperwork related to the project. The top court’s nod comes before Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for a new Parliament building that was proposed as part of the mega project on Thursday, December 10. The building is estimated to cost Rs 971 crore.
A bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar, Dinesh Maaheshwari and Sanjiv Khanna held a special hearing in the case – it has already reserved its verdict on the petitions against the project – and indicated their displeasure to Solicitor General Tushar Mehta at reports that the agencies had started work on the ground before their ruling.
“It should not be a fait accompli presented to the court…. Stop at the foundation laying ceremony. Some deference must be shown to the court,” the bench observed.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a bench headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar that there would be only foundation stone-laying ceremony, and no construction, demolition or felling of trees would be done for the project as of now.
The revamp, which was announced in September last year, envisages a new triangular Parliament building, with seating capacity for 900 to 1,200 MPs, that is targeted to be constructed by August, 2022 when the country will be celebrating its 75th Independence Day.
The common Central Secretariat is likely to be built by 2024.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone on December 10 for the new Parliament building and the construction is expected to be completed by 2022 at an estimated cost of Rs 971 crore, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had said on December 5.
The top court is seized of pleas which have raised questions over several aspects, including the environmental clearance granted to the project.
During the hearing conducted on Monday through video-conferencing, the bench asked Mehta to apprise it within five minutes about the government’s view on the issue of construction work for the project.
The bench observed that it would not allow construction or demolition till its decision on the pending pleas opposing the project.
The top court said the Centre can proceed with the requisite paperwork in the meantime.
On November 5, the apex court had reserved its verdict on a batch of pleas which have raised questions over the Centre’s ambitious Central Vista project, which covers three km stretch from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate in Lutyens’ Delhi.
The solicitor general had earlier argued in the top court that the project would “save money” which is paid as rent for housing central government ministries in the national capital.
