HC reserves order on shifting of Millennium bus depot

The Delhi High Court on Monday reserved its order on a plea of Delhi Transport Department (DTC) for retaining the Millennium Bus Depot, built at the Yamuna riverside.

A division bench of Chief Justice G.Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath reserved the order after hearing arguments of all the concerned parties.

The DTC had sought direction to civic agency Delhi Development Authority to change land use of the Millennium Bus Depot land so that the temporary construction on "O" zone can be made permanent according to the master plan, as the Delhi government has decided not to vacate the site.

The DTC had sought six more months to approach DDA for changing land use of the site. It had earlier informed the court that the central government is examining the issue of changing land use of the area where the depot is from "river and water-body" (Zone 'O') to "Transportation".

The 50-acre bus depot, built at a cost of Rs.60 crore for the 2010 Commonwealth Games at Yamuna river bed, is to be used for parking buses by changing the land use, DTC had told the court. The DDA had, however, told the court that it cannot change the land use of the site.

On January 15 last year, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal ordered relocation of the depot, but, in a U-turn, the AAP government in August - in its second term - told the court that more buses are being added in the fleet for which additional parking space is required.