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A total of five petitions in the Supreme Court challenged the decision of the Central Government to demolish and rebuild the Indian Parliament and the Central Vista.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday approved the Central Vista re-development project. In its ruling, the apex court termed the exercise of power by the Center as “just and legitimate” and affirmed the amendments to changes in land use. The three-judge bench said that the recommendations of the Environment Committee were also valid and appropriate.
A total of five petitions challenged various aspects of the project. These include land-use change notification issued by the Delhi Development Authority (c) in 2019, lack of public hearing before allowing changes in usage, and environmental concerns.
During the hearing, several grounds were argued — lack of environmental clearance, land-use changes without due process, damage to cultural heritage, and the legitimacy of the need to demolish existing buildings.
On the other hand, the Center argued that the Parliament House as well as many other government offices in the area were highly congested and could not support the requirements. Apart from this, the counsel for the central government also argued that the existing Parliament building was outdated and not in conformity with fire safety norms.
It was also stated that the electrical and AC systems of Parliament House were outdated and unsafe while other government buildings did not have sufficient capacity to house staff and equipment. The Center had said that all the proper procedures were followed and the logic of damage to cultural heritage could not be used to prevent necessary work.
While the apex court never put a stop to the project, the bench recently asked the government to “respect constitutional justification” and ensure that the demolition, construction, or removal of trees did not take place when the judgment was reserved Go The order was passed in the wake of media reports indicating that demolition work had begun in Parliament House.