Ms. Alpana Kishore has written an article on 13 May, 2021 in the web portal newslaundry.com on the central vista project. It seems the writer does not have proper understanding of facts connected with the subject; it has, therefore, led to several misrepresentations in the article.

Hence, in order to present the facts in proper perspective, all the issues of concern, which have been flagged in the article, have been clarified and collated at one place; and is attached herewith for wider readership.

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6. Public apprehensions have been stated around the relevant Central Vista redevelopment project 'approvals' and 'legal' documentation, with allegations made around subversion of Indian urban regulatory framework. While there have been suggestions that approvals for the project were undertaken in extraordinary haste since 2019, contradiction can be clearly observed in the farfetched nature of allegations suggesting that any changes were made in urban law or rules for the entire nation from 2016, keeping the Central Vista project in mind. It has been suggested that NDMC’s role as local body to approve the building plan was deliberately eliminated and role was assigned to CPWD, based on the pre-colonial “The Government Buildings Act, 1899". Such assertions are akin to casting vilifications on police for arresting an accused, based on Indian Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code because they emerged from the colonial era. The said exemption in the law is applicable for all Government buildings and this position has been accepted by DUAC, HCC, NDMC, DDA and other local bodies throughout the country, not just in Delhi.

7. There have been suggestions that the elected local body of NDMC was bypassed by CPWD, during the approval stage. However, NDMC is not an elected local body but a nominated body. CPWD has qualified architects and approval of building plan is accorded by designated Chief Architect, who is similar in qualification to Chief Architect, NDMC. Further, Chief Architect, NDMC is member of all important bodies i.e. Central Vista Committee, Heritage Conservation Committee and he is actively involved in approval of plans by these bodies. There is Committee of Architects, Engineers and Horticulturists, who examined the proposal and that the final proposal was submitted is fully complaint with the Building Byelaws in terms of FAR, ground coverage, setbacks, specific area norms. Further, Chief Architect, Delhi Region who functions as local body is not associated with preparation of building plans for Central Vista and works independently.

8. There has been apprehension with respect to land use of public spaces, as a result of the project. As a matter of fact, about 5.64 acres of land has been added in green area and shall be available for public use after affecting land use changes. Despite contrary belief, the 9.5-acre land for which the land use was changed from ‘District Park' to Government use for Parliament Building was already notified. The space was already used as parking space and housed utilities for existing Parliament Building such as cooling plant, electric sub-station, cafeteria and barracks for security personnel and it had never been functional as a ‘District Park' since 1970s. Further, through redevelopment of existing Central Secretariat buildings, around 2 hectares of green public spaces will be accessible to all citizens at the heart of New Delhi. Eventually, the historic North and South Block complex will be converted into National Museum and will be open to public, thereby increasing publicly accessible space in the Central Vista. Further, for all the land use changes, due process of inviting objections from public was followed. Large number of objections were received and opportunity for personal hearing was given to persons filing objections in a democratic manner by the Board of Enquiry (BoE), constituted by DDA.

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