New Delhi: The Supreme Court Tuesday ordered the Delhi government to redirect funds set aside for advertisements to the Regional Rapid Transport System (RRTS) project if it does not pay up its share of expenses incurred on the project within a week.
A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia was hearing a case pertaining to rising air pollution in Delhi NCR when it expressed strong reservations against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government in the capital for not fulfilling its promise to contribute its share.
The RRTS is a 17-km rail-based, high-frequency commuter transit system that will connect Delhi to Meerut in less than one hour. The court had in April underlined the importance of the project in helping bring down high pollution levels in the NCR.
During a hearing in July, the Arvind Kejriwal government had submitted an undertaking assuring that it would make the payment of Rs 415 crore. This came after the top court questioned it for spending Rs 1,100 crore on advertisements, but not on the infrastructure project. It had also asked the Delhi government to furnish details of the money spent on advertisements.
When the matter was taken up Tuesday, the bench observed there was “gross breach” of assurances given by the Delhi government.
“The advertising funds for the last three years had been called for. It was Rs 1,100 crore for the last three years and Rs 550 crore for this year. We would have been inclined to transfer those funds. However, on the last date, Dr Singhvi (senior advocate who appeared for Delhi government) had assured that the funds would be made available. We are thus constrained to direct that the funds allocated for advertising be allocated for this (RRTS) project,” ordered the bench.
However, on a request made by senior advocate Meenakshi Arora — who represented Delhi government Tuesday — the bench kept its order of transferring the funds in abeyance for a week. “If the funds are not transferred, the order will come into effect,” the court stated.
It observed that in April, the court had specifically mentioned that the balance amount (of Rs 415 crore) was payable by the Delhi government and that the latter was to pay the amount promptly.
The court clarified that it has no objections to governments earmarking their budgets for advertising. However, “if such (RRTS) national projects are to be affected, and against that, money is being spent on advertisement, we would have been inclined to direct those funds to be transferred to this project,” the bench observed in its order.
The issue with regard to non-payment of its share was brought to the court’s attention by the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), pointing to the breach of Delhi government’s assurance for completion of the project.
The court had directed the Delhi government to file an affidavit on its advertisement expenses after the latter claimed it was unable to make the contribution towards the RRTS project due to budgetary constraints.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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