New Delhi: The central government Monday assured the Supreme Court that it will not carry out any construction activity for the new Parliament building till the top court’s judgment on a batch of petitions challenging the project.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta gave the undertaking before a bench led by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar that held an urgent suo motu hearing Monday morning.
The bench expressed displeasure at the government for “aggressively” going ahead with the construction work of the Central Vista project, indirectly referring to news reports that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was going to lay the foundation stone for the new Parliament building on 10 December.
“We thought we are dealing with a prudent litigation and deference will be shown,” the bench said, adding it never “thought the government will go ahead aggressively with construction”.
“We have shown deference to you and expected that you will act in a prudent manner. The same deference should be shown to the court and there should be no demolition or construction,” the judges told Mehta, who sought a day’s time to revert.
However, the court gave him only five minutes to seek his instructions. On his return, Mehta stated there will be no construction, demolition or felling of trees.
“Foundation stone will be laid but no physical changes,” Mehta assured the bench, which then allowed the government to proceed with the project’s paperwork.
“Once you change the structure, then it will be difficult to restore it,” the court said, prompting Mehta to apologise.
Also read: Doughnut-shaped buildings, underground shuttle — how new Central Secretariat will look like
SC allows formal processes without altering site
The court, however, clarified that in view of Mehta’s statement “authorities will be free to undertake other formal processes without altering the site in any manner, including continuing with scheduled programme of foundation stone on 10 December”.
The top court had on 5 November reserved its verdict on a batch of pleas which had raised questions over the central government’s ambitious Central Vista project that covers the 3km stretch from Rashtrapati Bhawan to India Gate in Lutyen’s Delhi.
Announced in September last year, the revamp envisages a new triangular Parliament building, with seating capacity for 900 to 1,200 MPs.
In an interview to ANI Saturday Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla had said the construction work of the new Parliament complex will begin this month.
Secretary-General of Lok Sabha, Utpal Kumar Singh, while taking charge of his new office, had said that agencies will try and finish the construction within two years so that the 75th year of Indian independence can be commemorated in the new Parliament.
Also read: New Central Vista will save Rs 1,000 crore spent annually on rent expenditure, govt tells SC
This is a rather urgent project to make India into a superpower and vishwaguru. It’s disappointing that doubters are stopping the progress of the country by putting petitions in the court. A superpower always has money to spend on projects like these and in any case the govt never promised to provide COVID vaccine to all citizens. They can pay for it.
The court can work in harmony with the govt as suggested by an earlier CJI and ensure a quick go ahead.
Supreme court considers its litigant ‘prudent’ and shows its litigant its ‘deference’. Supreme court allows all actions except construction and that does not include Bhumi Pujan. And who does not know that once the Bhumi Pujan takes place its intention to construct the building is made known and while the process of judiciary to look into the matter and decide if the construction is needed or not it allows its prudent litigant to go ahead. Does not Supreme court know the crores of unemployed who lost their jobs due pandemic and their family is in disarray? Health services in India is in tattered conditions. Doctors and other health services men and women promised Rs. 50 lakhs are not paid. IMA produces the list of Doctors which Govt. does not agree with. thousands die everyday, vaccine would not be made available to citizens free just because Govt. has one reason that it has no money. More than a crores of its employees and pensioners including Jawans and ex-servicemen salary and pension has been slashed that 18 months and each one loses minimum 25 thousand in 18 months. While our Prime Minister lights 15 lakhs of Diya and of course those will be with GHEE that would cost each diya Rs 100. Our Prime Minister has purchased missile fitted plane for itself and for President one will be coming thus at least some thousand crores is spent. Prime Minister has his residence built to his requirement it also has 8 km tunnel from his present residence to the Safderganj airport that is completed in 4 years. Also that he will have his newly built house also the Vice President. Does Chief Justice of India needs to be told all these and why it cannot call the central Govt. to stop all these and provide free vaccine, those who lost their Jobs provide them with 50% salary, those who are not being paid their salary pay them immediately and stop all these. Supreme court calls its litigant Prudent and shows deference is disgrace for the institution and we the people will have to think of it.