The Supreme Court of India has responded to petitions challenging an extravagant renovation project, siding with the redevelopment of the Central Vista area on Tuesday.
Challenging Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to redevelop the colonial architecture, the petitioners raised questions over the permission granted for the change in land use.
"We hold that there are no infirmities in clearances given, change in land use", a three-judge bench said in a majority verdict, giving the central government a green light to go forward with the project.
This is the second time India's top court has ruled in favour of the Central Vista endeavour. In April 2020, the Supreme Court refused to stay the project after a petitioner argued the reconstruction would deprive people of enjoying highly treasured open and green spaces.
In a bid to reflect how modern, developed, and self-reliant India is 73 years after gaining independence, the new parliament building will "showcase the cultural diversity of the country", as Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla told the media earlier.
The new Parliament building in India is going to look like this. pic.twitter.com/j8Ll8WxJJX
— Radhika Parashar (@_RadhikaReports) December 10, 2020
The construction of a new parliament building, undertaken by one of India's top construction firms – Tata Projects Limited – is expected to be completed by 2022.
