Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court dismissed a PIL, seeking the court's instruction to the KMDA to stop building a bus passenger shelter on Middle Road at Entally.
A division bench of Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam and Justice Chaitali Chatterjee (Das) on Thursday said the land was acquired by the govt and the shed was being built for a purpose. "It is for the state to decide what would be beneficial for the public and no private individual can come to court, challenging the public purpose," the CJ said.
The petitioner's counsel submitted that the govt acquired the land to widen Middle Road. Advocate-General Kishore Datta said the road widening project was over and that the bus shelter was coming up on excess land, also govt's.
But the petitioner's counsel claimed the passenger shelter was for the benefit of a private respondent, an astrologer. Datta argued it was meant for the public at large. "...if the project is for the public, the petitioner can't put fetters on it," the Chief Justice held. —Subrata Chattoraj