New Delhi: The Supreme Court dismissed the plea that challenged the proposed change in land use regarding the Central Vista Project, on Tuesday. The plot is set to construct the new official residences of the Vice-President and the Prime Minister, stipulated as part of the Central Vista project in Lutyens’ Delhi. The Bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar stated that it’s a matter of policy decision and the court cannot interfere unless some ‘mala fide’ is shown in the decision.
The top court was hearing a petition filed by Rajeev Suri challenging the change in land use of plot number one from recreational area to residential. It alleged that the authorities have not demonstrated any public interest as far as the change in land use from recreational to residential for the plot is concerned. The petitioner’s counsel Shiv Suri argued that the change of open green area to the residential area is against public interest and about 6 acres of the green area is proposed to be taken over.
The bench said that it is the argument of the petitioner that since in the past it was a recreational area it should have been retained like that, and added that this cannot be the scope of judicial review. ‘It is not the case of the petitioner that the change is in a ‘mala fide’ manner. We find no reason to examine the matter further and thus dismiss the petition summarily’, said the Bench while dictating the order.
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During the last hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appearing for Centre had told the top court that official residences for the Vice-President and the Prime Minister are stipulated on the plot. When enquired about the possibility of a public recreation area near the spot or elsewhere, Mehta replied that considering that Parliament and other things coming up nearby from a security point of view, it would not be possible to have a recreational area in the vicinity.
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