By IANS,
New Delhi :The re-development work at the historic Jama Masjid will begin soon and various agencies have approved it, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) informed the Delhi High Court Monday.
Submitting its reply before a division bench of Justices Mukul Mudgal and Reva Khetrapal, MCD counsel said, “We have got approvals from the Delhi Urban Arts Commission (DUAC), Archaeology Survey of India (ASI) and Delhi Police, and will soon begin the work.”
MCD counsel also submitted that the civic authorities have also appointed a consultant for overseeing the re-development work.
On this the court asked the petitioner, Heritage and Cultural Forum – an NGO run by lawyer Usha Kumar – to examine the reports by MCD and submit their objections before Sep 14 when the court will take up the matter for further hearing.
The court was hearing a public interest petition 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 respective 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 and involve the people.