HC Central Vista verdict challenged in top court

NEW DELHI: A plea was filed in the Supreme Court on Wednesday 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 Bhawan here.

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”.