The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed a petition seeking to halt the construction activities related to the Central Vista Project in view of the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in the capital.
A Bench of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh remarked that the workers at the project stay on sight, there was no question of suspending the construction work.
“They have to complete before November 2021. Time is of essence. Once workers are staying at site and all facilities are provided and COVID 19 behaviour are adhered to, no reason to stop the project. This is not a genuine PIL (public interest litigation),” the high court said.
Noting that this was a motivated petition, the high court imposed a cost of ₹1 lakh on the petitioner.
The petitioners Anya Malhotra, who works as a translator, and Sohail Hashmi, a historian and documentary filmmaker, had in their petition argued that the Central Vista project was not an essential activity and hence, it could be put on hold for now during the pandemic.
The Centre had opposed the plea saying that it was a “facade” and a “disguise” in the form of a public interest litigation (PIL) petition to stall the project which they always wanted to stop.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehra, representing the Centre, had argued the public interest question raised by the petitioner in the case was “very selective”. He said the petitioners did not seem to care about the workmen of other construction activities going on the city.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority on Saturday allowed construction activities within their worksites outside the containment zones during the curfew period, which was extended in the city for another week.
Senior advocate Sidharth Luthra, appearing for the petitioners, had argued that his clients were only delivering a message of health and safety for the people of Delhi and if the government could not see it, then it was a “sorry reflection” of their concerns for the lives of the citizens.
Mr. Luthra referred to the ongoing project work as not Central Vista, rather “central fortress of death”, comparing it to “Auschwitz”, a German concentration camp during World War II.
Solicitor General Mehta had expressed displeasure with the comparison, saying one could criticise and be venomous about it, but such terms should not be used in court.
