Making it clear that the Noida Authority was not obligated to make alternatives available for all entities which were ordered to shut commercial operations being carried out in residential areas, the Supreme Court on Friday granted one year to the State Bank of India (SBI) to construct buildings and shift operations to the 19 plots allotted by the authority.
?There is no obligation on the Noida Authority to find alternatives in each and every case. After all, the order was passed as there were violations of the municipal bylaws,? a bench led by Justice Aftab Alam said, while snubbing a contention that the authority should make arrangements for the parties affected by the Supreme Court order.
Advocate Ravindra Kumar, who appeared for the authority, informed the bench that 19 plots had been allotted to the SBI. Of the 19 construction plans submitted by SBI, 15 have been approved.
The plots have been offered to the banks in the commercial pockets of the industrial or institutional sectors of Noida.
Appearing for the bank, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi said four remaining plans were in the final stage. He said the authority was insisting on a six-month timeframe for completing construction on these plots, which was not possible.
The bench accepted his argument. ?We also think that it is not practically possible to construct a building in six months… we will give the bank one year?s time to complete it.?
It, however, refused to grant immediate relief to any other bank, which asked for similar orders after the Noida?s counsel stated that their plans first required to be in consonance with the municipal norms.
In December 2011, the apex court had ordered that all banks, hospitals and other commercial institutions operating in Noida?s residential areas to shut operations since these activities breached the bylaws and regulations.