New Delhi: The Supreme Court today allowed the government to go ahead with the ‘Central Vista project’, which aims to redevelop the Parliament area and government offices around it.
The court while granting a green signal to the redevelopment project upheld the notification of a change in land use as well as the recommendations made by the Environment Ministry.
The majority opinion by Justice A M Khanwilkar, who headed the three-judge Bench, and Justice Dinesh Maheshwari said the change in land use under the Delhi Development Authority Act in the restricted zone was just and proper.
Both judges upheld the exercise of power by the Centre to change the land use of the Master Plan 2021. The court did not find any infirmity in the grant of approval by the Central Vista Committee or the Heritage Conservation Committee.
The court said there was no need for approval at the incipient stage of a project but it should be sought when the project materialised on the ground.
The government had recently held the groundbreaking ceremony for the new parliament building, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But it had assured the court that no construction activity will be undertaken till the judgment was delivered.