In a significant help for the Modi government, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court cleared the redevelopment plan for Central Vista with a 2:1 majority, although with riders.
The bench held that there were “no infirmities in clearances given, change in land use and the environmental clearances”. However, it imposed some riders like clearance from the heritage conservation committee.
A bench containing Justices A M Khanwilkar, Dinesh Maheshwari, and Sanjiv Khanna said the heritage conservation committee’s endorsement is required before development starts and directed that the project proponents get that approval.
The project conceives a new triangular Parliament building, with a seating capacity of up to 1,200 MPs. The project is estimated to be constructed by August 2022, when the country will celebrate its 75th Independence Day.
On 7 December, the top court had communicated solid disappointment with the Center for supposedly starting development process with announcement of groundbreaking ceremony for the new parliament building in the Central Vista project, even as the issues connected with the redevelopment plan was under its consideration.
On 10 December, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had established the foundation stone for the new Parliament building. The development is relied upon to cost around Rs 971 crore and the regular Central Secretariat is probably going to be worked by 2024.
The petitioners had challenged the project with allegations of illegal change in land use and urged the court to quash the project.
The solicitors had tested a warning given by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on 21 December 2019 with respect to changes in land use for the redevelopment.