Delhi Cabinet creates Air Ambience fund to promote clean air policie

New Delhi, Feb 8 (UNI) Delhi Government today decided to impose an environment fee on the sale of diesel at Re. 0.25 Paisa per litre, and use the funds generated for creating an Air Ambience Fund for promoting clean air policies in Delhi.

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee, under the powers vested in it vide notification of the Central Pollution Control Board dated March 15, 1991 to function as the State Pollution Control Board in the Union Territory of Delhi, has issued directions for collection of such a fee through the Department of Trade and Taxes of the Delhi Government.

It has also issued directions to the Finance Department to create a separate fund called the Air Ambience Fund for depositing the said amount levied as fee on the sale of diesel at the rate of Re.0.25 Paisa per litre in the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

The Air Ambience Fund will be utilised for the development and use of clean air technologies, waste management and such other related activities, which promote clean air policies so as to reduce air pollution, specially vehicular pollution in the Delhi Government.

This includes incentives to old vehicle and vehicles running on not so clean fuel, to convert to clean fuel like CNG.

The Air Ambience Fund will be administered by the state environment Secretary, and Delhi Pollution Control Committee Chairman, and all accounts will be maintained as per the procedures of the Delhi Government.

The exact procedure for filling the challan to deposit the requisite fee has been drafted in consultation with the Department of Trade and Taxes, and has also been issued alongwith the directions.

It is felt that with over five million registered vehicles in Delhi and vehicular pollution rising day by day, specially on account of diesel emissions, there is an urgent need to take steps to tackle the problem of abatement of air pollution, which is the responsibility of DPCC under section 17(1)(A) of the Air Act.

Under Section 17(1)(j) of the Air Act, the DPCC has the powers to perform said acts as it deem fit, for the proper discharge of its function and for achievement of such objectives like abatement of air pollution.

This is in keeping with the observations and directions of the Supreme Court in several judgments since 1995 to tackle the acute problem of vehicular pollution in Delhi.

UNI AR VD RAI2005