Dismiss Plea Against Central Vista: Centre Tells Supreme Court; Matter Adjourned

The court has asked the petitioner challenging the Central Vista project to file an affidavit by 16 November.

The Supreme Court on Friday, 29 October, has asked a petitioner challenging the Central Vista project to file an affidavit by 16 November.

(Image: The Quint)

The Supreme Court on Friday, 29 October, asked a petitioner challenging the Central Vista project to file an affidavit by 16 November. The court's direction comes as the Union government, in its affidavit, urged the court to dismiss the plea.

The Central Vista project is a plan for redevelopment of India’s power corridor. The Rs 20,000 crore project seeks to revamp Rajpath with a new Parliament building by 2022 and a new Central Secretariat by 2024.

The petition challenging the project has been filed by a Delhi resident, who has argued that the development of the Central Vista will deprive the denizens of the open, green space for social and recreational activity.

The plea has opposed a central government notification proposing the modification in Zonal Development Plan Of Plot 1 in Central Vista, as per LiveLaw. The development of the area in question will disturb a children's park and a bus terminal, as per the application.

What the Central Government Has Said

In an affidavit submitted before the court on Friday, the Union government has argued that the plot in question has been used to house the Defence Ministry offices for the past 90 years, and had never been to the public, as per an NDTV report.

The government further observed that there were no residential colonies in the vicinity of the area, which would mean that the development project will not disturb any neighbourhood play areas.

Asserting that the Central Vista is being erected "for the larger benefit of the public," the government urged the court to dismiss the plea filed against the project and impose a fine on the petitioner, reported NDTV.

The matter has been adjourned to 16 November.

(With inputs from NDTV and LiveLaw)