Bhopal Smart City: MP HC Tells Govt To File Affidavit On Road Widening

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has directed the state government to file an affidavit on widening of road as per development plan while hearing a petition concerning the Bhopal smart city project.

The court’s directive came after the petitioner’s counsel argued that the road from Polytechnic College to Bharat Mata Crossing is not being widened as per the development plan sanctioned for Bhopal city.

However, the Advocate General took the stand that the road is being widened as per the development plan.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Hemant Gupta and Justice Vijay Kumar Shukla said: “Let an affidavit be filed on behalf of the state to this fact.”

Munnawar Ali and 31 other residents of Bhopal had filed the petition seeking direction to quash the smart city project for being allegedly contrary to the Bhopal Development Plan and provisions of MP Nagar Tatha Gram Nivesh Adhiniyam 1973.

The petitioners took ground that under the area-based proposal of smart city project, Shivaji Nagar in Bhopal was selected but the detailed project report was prepared for TT Nagar locality, instead of Shivaji Nagar.

The petitioners sought direction to the respondents to be restrained from demolishing the shops and houses to widen the roads under the smart city project.