The Delhi High Court has reserved its judgment on plea to halt the construction of Central Vista redevelopment project in view of COVID-19 pandemic. The court stressed that this is not an “essential service” as declared by the Centre.

 The plea was heard by a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh even as Solicitor General Tushar Mehta pleaded to throw out the petition since the Supreme Court as well as this court considered numerous challenges to the project and approved it. Moreover, he said this construction has been going on since long.

“This is a facade of PIL to disguise something they always wanted to stop under one pretext or the other. Any bonafide litigant who had health interest of workers in mind would have withdrawn this plea since the workers have the medical facility at the site,” the S-G said, pointing out that the petitioners had no objection to certain other projects 2-3 km away.

Should they also not care about other workers who are employed in other projects? Senior advocate Maninder Singh, on behalf of the builders Shapporji Pallonji, who have bagged the contract for the construction, asserted the petitioners are trying to override the SC judgment. He said the plea must have been withdrawn on learning the workers are staying at the site and not being traveling. Also, the petitioners are not to decide when the work will complete.

“We can’t delay construction if we want to celebrate Republic Day parade,” he added. Advocate Siddharth Luth ra, appearing for petitioners, asserted right to health is a fundamental right, dismissing the govt’s claim the workers safely stay at the sites.

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