High Court Demands Explanation from Maharashtra Govt on Deekshabhoomi
Nagpur, India- The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has called for an explanation from the Maharashtra government, district administration, and other involved parties concerning a plea seeking additional land for the expansion and beautification of Deekshabhoomi, a revered site for millions of followers of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar.
The division bench, comprising Justices Nitin Sambre and Abha Mantri, reviewed an application filed by lawyer Shailesh Narnaware. The application requests directives to the government and other respondents to allocate 3.84 acres from the Cotton Research Institute (CRI) and 16.44 acres from the public health department’s Mata Kacheri to support Deekshabhoomi’s development plans. This application is part of Narnaware’s public interest litigation (PIL), which aims to transform Deekshabhoomi into a major pilgrimage center, similar to Shirdi, Shegaon, Pandharpur, and Trimbakeshwar.
Narnaware’s PIL argues that the government has developed other sites like Koradi and Paradsinga into major tourist attractions and religious centers. He stated that the Dr. Ambedkar Smarak Samiti has repeatedly requested the Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) and other authorities to transfer the CRI and public health department lands, but despite nine years of appeals, the authorities have not responded positively. He contended that ongoing issues, such as grievances over underground parking that led to intense protests on July 1, could be resolved if the requested land is allocated to the Deekshabhoomi Trust.
The application also calls for the implementation of a new Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the beautification and redevelopment of Deekshabhoomi, which attracts thousands of devotees annually. Narnaware highlighted that the Rs181 crore development plan is still awaiting government approval.
The demand for land expansion gained urgency after Ambedkarite organizations protested vehemently against the ongoing underground parking project on July 1, causing a significant uproar in the Maharashtra assembly session and prompting the NIT to shelve the parking plaza plan.
The petitioner has called for directives to the urban development department's principal secretary and other respondents to consider the Dr. Ambedkar Smarak Samiti’s request, first made on November 3, 2011, for additional land for Deekshabhoomi’s development.
During the last hearing, the Nagpur Metropolitan Region Development Authority (NMRDA) informed the court that it did not view the PIL as adversarial litigation. Represented by counsel Girish Kunte, the NMRDA stated it would present the factual position in the next hearing. The NMRDA has already communicated with the government, requesting administrative approval for Phase-I and Phase-II of the project, which remains pending, and provided copies of its communications with the government dated April 29 and May 5.
