In a significant development, the Supreme Court (SC) on Monday (December 7) expressed displeasure over the way the Central government is going ahead with construction work of the Central Vista.
Hearing on a bunch of petitions, the apex court observed that no construction, demolition or felling of trees shall take place at the Central Vista Project till the hearing in this matter is on.
The SC, however, allowed the Centre to proceed with the paperwork of the project and also the foundation stone laying ceremony of the proposed new Parliament building on December 10 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The SC expressed unhappiness over Centre's decision to move ahead "aggressively" with the construction projects in Central Vista even when the issue of legality of the project was sub-judice.
"We though we we are dealing with a prudent litigant and deference will be shown. Just because there is no stay it does not mean that you can go head with everything," Justice A M Khanwilkar told the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.
The new Parliament building is a part of the Central Vista redevelopment project. The new building will cover an area of 64,500 sq metres and will replace the current 93-year-old Parliament House, which was built by British.
“We started the journey of independent India in the old building, and when we complete 75 years, we will have the session of both Houses in the new Parliament building… It will not be a building of bricks and stones, it will be the fulfilment of the dreams of 130 crore people,” Speaker Om Birla noted.
