New
Delhi: A plea was filed in
the Supreme Court today challenging the Delhi High Court's May 31 verdict which
dismissed a petition seeking to suspend all construction activity of the
Central Vista Avenue redevelopment during the COVID-19 pandemic while
describing it as a “vital” and “essential” project of national importance.
The project entails construction activities on Rajpath and the
surrounding lawns from the India Gate to the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi.
The main Cental Vista project envisages building a new Parliament
House, a new residential complex to house offices and the Prime Minister and
the Vice President. It will also have new office buildings and a Central
Secretariat to accommodate various ministries 'offices.
The high court had dismissed the plea saying it was “motivated”
and filed with “ill-intent” and “lack of bona fides”.
The high court had also imposed a cost of ? 1 lakh on
the petitioners who wanted the work to be halted in view of the COVID-19
pandemic, observing that it was “not a genuine public interest litigation”.
Advocate Pradeep Kumar Yadav on Wednesday filed the petition in
the Supreme Court challenging the high court verdict.
Mr Yadav, who was not a party to the proceedings before the high
court in the matter, has claimed that high court was not justified in holding
that the plea was motivated and not a genuine public cause by drawing
presumption and assumption in the absence of proved material facts and
evidence.
It alleged that the high court failed to appreciate that
allowing a big construction work with large number of labourers and workers to
continue during the pandemic period is a serious public health issue concern.
It claimed that the high court was not justified in holding that
the construction activities for the project is essential activities, especially
when the entire activities of service sector, industrial sector and the
activities of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) are fully suspended
during the peak pandemic lockdown period.
In its verdict, the high court had said, “The present petition
has been filed to stop with immediate effect the work of the redevelopment of
Central Vista Avenue. This work is part and parcel of Central Vista project and
of vital public importance. The construction of Central Vista Avenue redevelopment
project cannot be seen in isolation.
“In fact, the whole Central Vista project is an essential
project of national importance, where the sovereign functions of Parliament are
also to be conducted. Public is vitally interested in this project,” it had
said.
The high court had said that legality of the project was already
upheld by the Supreme Court and even the Delhi Disaster Management Authority
allowed it to continue.
It had also said that from the affidavits filed
by the Centre and the contractor -- Shapoorji Pallonji and Company Pvt Ltd
(SPCPL) -- it was “clearly evident” that several facilities, like
accommodation, medical facilities and Covid care centre, have been provided to
the workers at the site.
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