BENGALURU: The Cubbon Park Walkers Association has moved the Karnataka High Court questioning administrative approval given by the state government for the proposed seven-storey court’s annex building in place of the old Election Commissioner’s office, between KGID building and Press Club.
When the matter came up for hearing on Monday, the court, indicating that it would not stop the members of the association from holding an agitation, said that the association can either opt the path of agitation or judicial proceedings, but it cannot choose both. The court also reserved liberty for the petitioner to implead the High Court as party.
Replying to this, the counsel of the petitioner submitted that the petitioner (the association) is only influencing public opinion. He also pointed out that they could not get the copy of the order issued by the government on September 23, to give administrative approval for the construction of the building in question.
Asking the government advocate to place the copy of the said order during the next date of hearing, the court, comprising of a division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Pradeep Singh Yerur, ordered notice to the government, BBMP, and BDA.
Mentioning that the government gave its approval for the building in a hurry, without obtaining environment impact assessment and holding any deliberations with the stakeholders, the petitioner said the construction of the building is a violation of their rights to have clean air, guaranteed under the Constitution. Cubbon Park needs to be preserved for the next generation and city’s lung space will be jeopardised if construction of the proposed building is allowed, the petitioner claimed.