The Supreme Court today fixed March 18 for hearing the Uttar Pradesh government plea for lifting the stay on the work for construction of statues and memorials for Dalit leaders at a park in Noida near here, which, the state claimed, was causing a loss of Rs three lakh everyday.
A Special Forest Bench headed by chief justice KG Balakrishnan said it will give a full day hearing to decide the contentious issue involved in the matter.
Uttar Pradesh Government, which has claimed that it was losing Rs three lakh everyday on the project, has said that the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) has filed an affidavit which favours that the stay on construction at the site be lifted.
"The MoEF has filed a decent affidavit. The land in question does not come under the forest area," senior advocate KK Venugopal, appearing for the state government, said, while opposing the plea of advocate A D N Rao, who sought adjournment for a week.
Rao, who is assisting the court as amicus curiae in the matter, said the issue was not only limited to the MoEF affidavit and that waiting for a week more will not make much difference.
Additional solicitor general Indira Jaising, appearing for the Centre, said the issue involved interpretation of laws and the notification by MoEF relating to the use of forest land for construction activities.
She said it has to be determined what the expression built-up area means to adjudicate whether the constructions were in accordance with the law and permission under the notification was required.
