Calcutta High Court Seeks State's Response In PIL Seeking Regular Maintenance And Preservation Of Maidan

The Calcutta High Court on Monday sought response from the State government in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition seeking directions for regular maintenance and preservation of the Brigade Parade Ground and adjoining greens popularly known as the Maidan which is considered to be the lungs of the city. 

A Bench comprising Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj was apprised by the petitioner Subhas Datta, an activist by profession that the Maidan ground and surrounding areas constitute a Heritage Zone and that the State government should take measures to preserve them. 

He further pointed out that political parties often conduct political rallies on Maidan grounds which results in excessive littering. He also submitted that the drains near the Maidan grounds are clogged with solid waste and further prayed that cars, horse carriages etc must not be allowed to ply on Maidan grounds. 

The petitioner further implored the Bench to constitute a committee consisting of experts to look into the grievance and accordingly devise a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for preservation of the Maidan grounds. 

During the proceedings, Advocate General S.N Mookherjee acknowledged that steps must be undertaken to clean the Maidan grounds more often and accordingly informed the Court that the State would file a report in this regard on the next date of hearing. He further apprised the Bench that the Court has taken cognisance of a similar grievance in its suo moto petition in The Court on its own motion In re. : The Maidan. 

It may be noted that the High Court vide order dated December 24, 2020 in The Court on its own motion In re. : The Maidan had constituted a committee comprising the then Advocate-General and Additional Solicitor-General to coordinate with the highest State officials and the Army authorities to chalk out a plan for the regular maintenance and cleaning of the Brigade Parade Ground and the extended greens, including the areas around the club-tents extending upto the Shahid Minar to the north, the edge of the Fort William to the west, Chowringhee to the east and Circular Road to the south.

Accordingly, the Bench on Monday directed the State government to file its affidavit-in-opposition before the next date of hearing which is slated to take place on March 15. The petitioner was further directed to implead the Union of India in the instant petition and serve a copy of the petition along with relevant enclosures to the Additional Solicitor General Y.J Dastoor. 

Case Title: Subhas Datta v. Local Military Authority and Ors