New Delhi: The Supreme Court will hear the petition challenging the government's ambitious Central Vista Project on September 28, and the Centre is also scheduled to submit its arguments on that day.
The bench led by Justice AM Khanwilkar today heard Senior Advocate Sanjay Hegde, who highlighted that for Indians there exists a lot of living heritage in the area where the project is supposed to be expanded. If it is to be changed in any manner for better or worse there has to be an effective public hearing and procedure must be followed, he contended.
Meanwhile, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta questioned the usage of the word 'heritage' and asked if development was a block on it.
Earlier, CPWD had informed the apex court that existing buildings were unsafe and the prospective increase in the strength of the Parliament needed to be accommodated. It had also said that all the environment clearances for the project were in place.
The petitioner argued before the court that it is not what government wants to do but how the government is doing it. Committees and Administrative authorities have been circumvented, added the advocate.
The revamp, which was announced in September last year, envisages a new triangular Parliament building, with seating capacity for 900 to 1,200 MPs, that is targeted to be constructed by August, 2022 when the country will be celebrating its 75th Independence Day.
Read: Central Vista Project: SC asks Centre to respond within 10 days
