Central Vista is expected to be completed next year, for India’s 75th year of independence (File)

New Delhi:

The government has urged the Supreme Court to dismiss a petition against the Central Vista project, calling the plea “misconceived” and saying that it should be dismissed with costs.

The Supreme Court has asked the petitioner – who has challenged the project on grounds it will impact a “public recreational” zone – to file a response to the government’s affidavit by November 12.

The court will hear the matter next on November 16.

In its affidavit the government said the plot in question had been used for Defence Ministry offices for the past 90 years, and it had never been open for the public’s ‘recreation purposes’.

There is no question of ‘neighbourhood play area’ being affected as there are no residential colonies in the immediate vicinity, offices, the government told the court.

The court was also told the government had on its own decided to increase available public recreation areas in the Central Vista master plan; this is for the larger benefit of the public, it said.

On Monday a two-member bench of Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice CT Ravikumar had given the government three days to respond to this petition.

The court had asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the government, if it had removed such an area from the plan or whether earlier recreational areas were to be relocated.

Mr Mehta had said it would not be possible to have a recreational area there because the new parliament building, as well as the residence of the Vice President were being built there.

“I will seek instructions from the government but because Parliament and Vice-President’s house is coming up there, it would not be possible to have a recreational area in the vicinity,” he had said.

The Central Vista Redevelopment Project involves a do-over of a 3.2 km stretch in the heart of Delhi, which was designed by the British before Independence, at the cost of Rs 20,000 crore.

Several government buildings, including Parliament House and ministry offices, will be rebuilt.

A number of petitions challenging the project have been filed, and have been dismissed – by both the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court, neither of which has stopped the project so far.

The petition in question today was filed by social activist Rajeev Suri, who had originally challenged the project earlier citing illegal change in land use and absence of environmental clearance.

The project is expected to be completed next year, when India celebrates 75 years of independence.