The Maharashtra government has informed the Supreme Court that the bidding process for construction of the new Bombay High Court building will be completed by December, while the remaining land required for the project will also be transferred in phases.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana was hearing suo motu proceedings concerning the preservation of the Bombay High Court’s heritage building and the allocation of additional land for expanding the court’s infrastructure.
Appearing for the Maharashtra government, Advocate General Milind Sathe briefed the Bench on the progress of the proposed project. He said the Steering Committee had met representatives of all Bar Associations and the Bar Council, with stakeholder concerns addressed and the conceptual plans finalised on July 23.
“A meeting was held of the Steering Committee with all Bar Associations and the Bar Council. Everybody’s concerns were taken care of and the conceptual plans were finalised on July 23,” he submitted.
Sathe said the appointed architect is currently preparing structural, architectural and construction drawings, a process expected to take about eight weeks. The tendering process and selection of the successful bidder are expected to require another eight weeks.
“by the end of December the whole process of selection of bids will be completed,” Sathe told the Court.
On land allocation, the State had initially committed to transferring the required land by July 31. However, some buildings on the site are still occupied by government employees and High Court staff, prompting the State to seek an extension until August 31.
Of the 30.16 acres identified for the project, 23.7 acres have already been handed over. Sathe said 2.5 acres of the remaining 5.4 acres would be transferred by August 31, while the balance would be handed over by December 31.
The project requires around 45 statutory approvals. Applications for some permissions have already been filed, while others will be initiated after the architectural plans are finalised.
The Supreme Court initiated the suo motu case in 2024, citing concerns over the deteriorating condition of the existing 150-year-old Bombay High Court heritage structure and the need for additional infrastructure.
The proposed land is located in Bandra. Initially, 4.39 acres were handed over in October 2024, followed by the transfer of another 5.25 acres by January 2025 after delays. By April 2025, the total land transferred stood at 11.58 acres.
Source: Live Law
