'Entire pedestrianisation project of Chandni Chowk to be completed in a month'

New Delhi: The Delhi government on Wednesday told the Delhi High Court that the project of pedestrianization of Chandni Chowk here was expected to be completed in a month's time.

The submission was made before a bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan by Delhi government additional standing counsel Naushad Ahmed

Khan.

The submission was made when a PIL, initiated by the high court on the basis of news reports that the project has been derailed, came up for hearing before the bench.

The bench, however, recused itself from hearing it and directed that it be listed before the bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad on November 11.

The bench headed by Justice Kohli on October 8 had taken suo motu notice of the "pathetic condition of the area", as per the photographs in the news reports, and directed the high court registry to register a petition in public interest.

The high court had decided to initiate the PIL for remedying at the earliest the "complete apathy and mis-management on the part of the authorities and the stakeholders".

The news reports had claimed that the project of pedestrianization of the stretch of road between the Red Fort intersection and Fatehpuri Masjid at Chandni Chowk, has been derailed.

The high court had noted that the photographs, accompanying the news articles, indicated that stones and garbage were strewn all over the pathway, bollards were broken and the footpaths had been dug up.

It had noted that the pedestrianization of the above stretch of road was a part of the prestigious project of redevelopment of the entire Chandni Chowk area.