PTI

New Delhi, June 3

Construction actions carried out by the Odisha authorities on the famed Shree Jagannath temple in Puri to offer important facilities like bathrooms and cloak rooms are essential in bigger public curiosity, the Supreme Court mentioned on Friday whereas rejecting petitions difficult the work.

A trip bench of Justices BR Gavai and Hima Kohli dismissed the PILs opposing the development with prices, and mentioned the state couldn’t be prevented from making essential preparations to offer fundamental facilities for lakhs of devotees visiting the temple.

The prime court docket mentioned the development actions are being undertaken in pursuance of the instructions issued by a three-judge bench of this court docket within the case of Mrinalini Padhi.

“The construction is being carried out for the purpose of providing basic and essential amenities like toilets for men and women, cloak rooms, electricity rooms, etc. These are the basic facilities which are necessary for the convenience of the devotees at large,” it mentioned.

The bench additionally took exception to the submitting of frivolous PILs, saying most such petitions are both publicity curiosity litigation or private curiosity litigation.

“In the latest previous, it’s seen that there’s mushroom progress of public curiosity litigations. However, in a lot of such petitions, there isn’t a public curiosity concerned. The petitions are both publicity curiosity litigation or private curiosity litigation. We extremely deprecate the apply of submitting such frivolous petitions. They are nothing however abuse of the method of legislation. 

“They encroach upon a valuable judicial time which could be otherwise utilised for considering genuine issues. It is high time such so-called public interest litigations are nipped in the bud so that the development activities in the larger public interest are not stalled,” the bench mentioned.

The prime court docket mentioned a hue and cry was made that development carried out is opposite to the inspection report carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). However, the notice of the Director General of ASI clears the place.

“It can thus be seen that even if the appellant had genuine concern the same is already taken care by the high court in the impugned order. In spite of that the matter was mentioned for obtaining urgent orders before the vacation bench on Monday. Till the matter was not listed again a hue and cry was made as if heavens are going to fall if the matter is not heard. Activity undertaken is in sync with our earlier orders,” the bench mentioned.

“It would further be relevant to note that the high court itself has recorded the statement of the Advocate General for State of Odisha that both the ASI and the State Government would work together to ensure that no archaeological remains are missed out or damaged,” the bench mentioned.

“We are of the thought-about view that the general public curiosity litigation filed earlier than the High Court somewhat than being in public curiosity, is detrimental to the general public curiosity at giant.

“In the result, the appeals, having been found to be without any substance, are dismissed with costs, quantified at Rs 1 lakh each, payable by the appellants to the respondent No 1 within four weeks from the date of this judgment,” the bench mentioned.