Central Vista project will roll on, says Puri

Delhi HC has taken cognisance of 2 petitions challenging DDA’s proposed change of land-use

The government would not allow the Central Vista redevelopment project to get “derailed”, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Friday when asked about challenges filed in the Delhi High Court against land-use change for the project.

The Delhi High Court has taken cognisance of two petitions challenging the Delhi Development Authority’s proposed change of land-use for several plots along the 3-km Central Vista.

“It’s up to the petitioners to file petitions. There has been total transparency. Bimal Patel [architect working on the project] has met all town planners. This is a project that is evolving...With the amount of consultations we have done, we are not going to allow the project to be derailed,” Mr. Puri said in response to a question by The Hindu at a press conference.

The government is planning to construct a new Parliament building, new residences for the Vice-President and Prime Minister, a new Prime Minister’s Office and office buildings for all Ministries. The DDA had notified its proposed land-use change on December 21, 2019 and asked for comments, objections and suggestions for one month, after which it held public hearings on February 6 and 7. Among the concerns raised was that the DDA gave only a day’s notice for those with objections to attend the hearings.