Give details of ads expenditure of last 3 financial years: SC to Delhi govt

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday criticised the Delhi government for expressing its inability to provide funds for the construction of the Regional Rapid Transport System (RRTS) project and directed it to furnish details of funds spent on advertisements in the last three financial years.

A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia was informed by the Delhi government that it was unable to allocate funds for the project.

Criticising the Delhi government for expressing its inability to implement the project due to funding constrain, the apex asked it to furnish within two weeks details of money spent on advertisements in the last three financial years.

The bench questioned the Delhi government why it did not have funds for a project that would ensure smooth transportation, considering it had allocated funds for advertisements.

"If you have money for advertisements, why don't you have money for a project that will ensure smooth transport?" the bench told counsel appearing for Delhi government.

In its order, the bench said, "The Delhi State government has expressed its inability to contribute the funds for the project. Since the paucity of funds seems to be an impediment in the project on behalf of NCT of Delhi, we call upon the NCT of Delhi to file an affidavit setting forth the funds utilised for advertisements by the State government as the project is of considerable importance.

Details be furnished for the last three financial years." The top court was hearing a batch of MC Mehta cases relating to environmental issues. During the hearing, the bench was informed that the Delhi government was not ready to contribute towards the project, particularly towards the Delhi-Alwar (Rajasthan) and Delhi-Panipat (Haryana) corridors.

One of the counsels appearing in the matter told the apex court that the Delhi government has taken a similar stand and refrained from releasing funds towards the Delhi-Meerut (Uttar Pradesh) corridor. Counsel appearing for the State government told the top court that in the year 2020, it had communicated that there were no funds available with the government and the situation has worsened due to Covid-19.

The counsel added that GST compensation provided by the Centre has also been stopped since the last financial year, hence, there are no finances available. The Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transport System (RRTS) project is slated to be a semi-high-speed rail corridor between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh's Meerut.

This corridor will connect the cities of Delhi, Ghaziabad and Meerut and is one of the three rapid rail corridors planned under Phase I of the RapidX project.