In a significant development, the Rajasthan High Court has intervened to halt construction activities within Jaipur's prominent Central Park complex. A division bench issued a clear directive for maintaining the current state of affairs at the disputed site.
Court's Directives and Immediate Actions
The bench comprising Justice Sudesh Bansal and Justice Bhuwan Goyal delivered the order on Friday. The court instructed the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) to ensure that a status quo is maintained at the location where a two-storied building was being erected. This means all construction work must stop immediately, preserving the site exactly as it was on the day of the order.
Furthermore, the judges directed the JDA commissioner to conduct a thorough site inspection. The commissioner is required to prepare a detailed report, supported by videography and photography of the existing structure and the surrounding area, and submit it to the court's records.
Legal Proceedings and Parties Involved
The hearing saw representation from the petitioner's counsel, Vimal Choudhary, who confirmed the court's order to freeze the construction site. Madhusudhan Rajpurohit, the lawyer representing the Rambagh Golf Club (RGC)—one of the respondents—clarified that the order effectively prohibits any further construction until all concerned parties file their official replies.
Notably, no legal counsel for the state government was present during the proceedings. Consequently, the court also issued formal notices to top state officials, including the chief secretary, the Urban Development department secretary, and the JDA commissioner, seeking their responses.
Root of the Controversy: The PIL Allegations
The case reached the court through a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) initially filed by the Central Park Bachao Sangharsh Samiti (CPBSS). The petitioner group alleges that the JDA initiated the construction of this new building as a form of compensation. This compensation was reportedly for nine kiosks built by the Rambagh Golf Club that the JDA itself had earlier demolished to create space for an underground parking facility.
It is important to note that the state government had previously declared those demolished kiosks illegal following public complaints. Yogesh Yadav, the president of CPBSS, pointed out that the decision to construct the new building was made by the JDA in two separate meetings held in July and September of 2023. The first meeting was chaired by the chief secretary, and the second by the JDA commissioner. The Samiti has urged the court to invalidate the decisions taken in those meetings.
The court's order to maintain status quo brings temporary relief to the petitioners and puts the controversial project on hold. All eyes are now on the detailed site report and the subsequent replies from the government authorities, which will shape the future course of this legal and urban development dispute in the heart of Jaipur.
