[Central Vista Project] "Who Is The Owner Of Parliament Building?" Read Courtroom Exchange During SG Tushar Mehta's Arguments
Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta commences his submissions on behalf of Union of India....
Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta commences his submissions on behalf of Union of India.
Matter will resume tomorrow.
SG submits that the material available is sufficient to portray application of mind and consideration of everything germane and relevant.
SG is now dealing with the issue of consulting EC before preparing of the vision document.
SG Mehta now submits that factual concealments have been made by the Petitioners.
“The final EIA report states that the area around the airport only has a few trees. They stated that the trees are in thousands.”
The Bench asks the SG whether the current Parliament building can be refurbished.
SG states that the same is a policy decision which must be taken by the government.
Bench: The whole argument is built on the ground that there is nothing in public domain.
Bench directs the SG to ensure that all the information is compiled and is made available on one platform.
SG submits that he is arguing on instructions and that all the information is in public domain.
“They have all the documents. We are in the era of transparent governance. Everything can be accessed, and everything should be accessed”.
SG: I don’t think any government would come before your Lordships without a plan.
Bench: The grievance was whether you had to put all of this in public domain. If it was, then the grievance would have been minimised. What you’re pointing out right now is not in public domain.
Justice Khanna: People of the country are the real owners. Government, bureaucracy and even the judiciary; they’re all trustees.
SG: My submission is only on the point of legal ownership.
SG: Parliament doesn’t have an owner. It’s its own owner. Other Ministries are owned and have to pay rent. That’s not the same case for the Parliament.
Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta continues with his submissions. He states that the project is being treated as a standalone project, and the Parliament cannot be treated as an integrated project.
“It exists, without the presence or absence of C-Sec”.