Central Vista Row: Delhi HC Stays Earlier Order by Single Judge

An earlier order by a single judge bench had asked DDA to notify the court before making changes to the masterplan.

PM Modi’s ambitious Central Vista redevelopment project has hit a legal snag.

(Photo: Kamran Akhter/The Quint)

The Delhi High Court Friday, 28 February, stayed its single judge's direction to DDA to approach the court before notifying any change to the Master Plan for going forth with the Centre's ambitious project to redevelop the Central Vista – the 3-km stretch from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate in Lutyens' Delhi.

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar issued the direction on the pleas by the Centre and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) challenging the single judge's order of 11 February.

The bench also issued notice to the two individuals – Rajeev Suri and Lt Col (retd) Anuj Srivastava – on whose pleas the 11 February order was passed, and listed the Centre and DDA's appeals for further hearing on 6 May.

Suri and Srivastava, in their pleas before the single judge, have opposed the Central Vista project on the ground that it involves a change in land use of the green area adjoining Rajpath and Vijay Chowk for building a new Parliament and government offices.

They have contended that DDA does not have the power to bring about the proposed change in land use and master plan and only the central government can do so.

The single judge in his 11 February order had said, "In case, a decision is taken to notify the proposed changes in Master Plan of Delhi 2020-21, the DDA will approach the court before notifying such decision."

Gujarat-based architecture firm HCP Designs has won the consultancy bid for the Centre's ambitious project to redevelop the Central Vista.

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.