The Delhi High Court on Monday rebuked the Central Public Works Department for failing to abide by its repeated assurances to the court that it will restore Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial Rajghat.
“It [restoration] is pending since 2015 and since then meetings were held only due to intervention of this court,” a bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar said, according to India Legal. “We are really saddened that this Samadhi is getting this kind of respect. Why do we need a petitioner to tell us that toilet is not being installed there?”
The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by activist Shyam Narayan Chouksey, who said the memorial was not being maintained well. Chouksey in his petition said there were betel stains at the entrance to the memorial, broken floor tiles and trash lying all over the monument. He also said the toilets were in poor condition and unclean.
The bench said that trees planted around the memorial by dignitaries were dead. “We feel we could have done something for the Father of the Nation,” the court said, according to PTI.
The bench then asked the Central Public Works Department to file a status report within 15 days and listed the matter for further hearing on September 19. “We expect that every necessary step to restore the samadhi shall be taken,” the bench said. It also asked the department to consult former dean of the School of Planning and Architecture KT Ravindran on the restoration.
In January, the Delhi High Court showed displeasure at the “pathetic state of affairs” in the way Rajghat was being maintained. In earlier hearings, the court has said that having a donation box at Rajghat was “disrespectful” to Gandhi, and also ordered an inspection by the Central Public Works Department.
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