The Bench of justice SK Kaul and Justice Abhay S. Oka issued directions to the Agra Development Authority to immediately stop all the commercial activities being carried on within a radius of 500 meters from the peripheral wall of Taj Mahal.

The directions have been issued by the Supreme Court on an application moved by a group of shop owners who had been allotted an area outside a 500-meter radius to run their business who argued before the court that illegal business activities are going on within this radius and this is in violation of the previous order of Supreme Court. Amicus Curiae in the matter, Senior Advocate A. D. N. Rao also supported the proposition that it would be in the interest of the monument for directions to be issued putting a stop to all the commercial activities happening in the vicinity of the UNESCO Heritage Site.

Finally, the court directed:-

We allow the prayer and thus prayer ‘A’ of IA No. 91272/2022 reads as under :

"We allow the prayer and thus prayer ‘A’ of IA No. 91272/2022 reads as under: “direct the Agra Development Authority to remove all business activities within 500 meters from the boundary/peripheral wall of the monument Taj Mahal which shall be in tune with Article 14 of the Constitution of India”

Prayer ‘B’ for which liberty is granted to work pout the remedies reads as under :

“direct Agra Development Authority not to charge arbitrarily increased exorbitant license fees @ Rs. 3000/- per month and may resort to reasonable increase in monthly license fees only after reconstruction of 71 shops as per March 2007 Plan submitted by HUDCO and after providing all the facilities like water, electricity, approach road, sewerage, washrooms and other facilities of public utilities.”

Case Details:-

Writ Petition(s)(Civil) No(s). 13381/1984
M.C. MEHTA Petitioner(s)
 VERSUS
UNION OF INDIA & ORS. Respondent(s)

Read the Complete order

https://main.sci.gov.in/supremecourt/1984/63426/63426_1984_3_804_38522_Order_26-Sep-2022.pdf