The hearing on a petition seeking a stay on the ‘Central Vista Redevelopment Project’ during the Covid-19 pandemic was adjourned, as the Delhi High Court Bench did not assemble today.
The Delhi High Court Bench, headed by Chief Justice DN Patel, did not assemble yesterday also, when the matter was scheduled to be heard. The petition will now be heard on May 17.
The petition was filed in the Delhi High Court by Anya Malhotra and Sohail Hashmi through Advocates Gautam Khazanchi and Pradyuman Kaistha. It sought interim relief of halt on work of the Project, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic that has ravaged the country.
The Union of India had, on May 11, filed a reply in the Delhi High Court to the petition, calling it an abuse of the process of law and another attempt to stall the project and sought dismissal of the plea with cost. The affidavit was signed by Rajiv Sharma, Executive Engineer Central Vista Project Division-III and filed by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.
It submitted that the work, which formulates the subject matter of the petition, was awarded to M/s Shapoorji Pallonji and Company in January, 2021.
The scope of work for the project in question is not what is colloquially referred to as ‘the Central Vista Project,’ whereas the scope of work, which is a subject matter of the petition, is limited to the redevelopment of Central Vista Avenue (both sides of Rajpath), where the Republic Day Celebrations are held annually and widely visited by the common public and tourists in Delhi, it added.