By IANS,
New Delhi : The historic Jama Masjid is all set to get a facelift with the Delhi High Court Monday giving the green signal to the city civic agency to start re-development work at the site.
Justice Mukul Mudgal and Justice Reva Khetrapal gave their nod to the development work planned by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and directed the agency to inform the court about the work schedule by Dec 15, the next date of hearing.
The court’s nod came after the petitioner Heritage and Cultural Forum and others informed the court that they don’t have any objections with the plan formulated by MCD.
However, the petitioners said that if they have any minor objections with the plan, they will inform the court about these.
The court will monitor the development work from time to time.
The court also directed the MCD to provide a copy of the development project to the owners of the Meena Bazar shops, which is part of Jama Masjid complex, after they raised certain objections with the new plan.
Earlier, the MCD had submitted before the court that it has secured approvals from the Delhi Urban Arts Commission (DUAC), the Archaeology Survey of India (ASI) and Delhi Police for its renovation plan.
MCD counsel submitted to the court that the civic authorities have appointed a consultant for overseeing the re-development work.
The court was hearing a public interest petition filed by Heritage and Cultural Forum, an NGO run by lawyer Usha Kumar, seeking re-development work at the historic mosque.
The 17th century mosque has not been declared a protected monument so far, though the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach) and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) have included it in their lists of protected monuments, the petition said.
However, the Waqf Board opposed the petition on the point of declaring the monument a protected one, saying that it would hurt the religious sentiments of those who visit it to offer prayers as the ASI does not allow offering prayers inside a protected monument.
On Oct 6, 2006, the court had approved all plans and the estimated cost for the work.
The civic agency had also launched a website providing all information regarding the re-development plan of the mosque so that the entire process could be transparent.