Centre pulled up by SC for sitting on Rs 77,000 crore funds for environment protection
New Delhi, July 20: The Supreme Court on Friday pulled up the Centre for "sitting" over funds of a whopping Rs 77,000 crore meant for protection of the environment and asked it to inform "for the sake of the country" as to where this money would be spent.
A
bench
comprising
justices
Madan
B
Lokur
and
Deepak
Gupta
observed
that
if
these
funds
were
used
in
a
proper
manner,
Delhi
would
not
have
been
facing
the
problem
of
air
pollution.
It
also
raked
up
the
issue
of
the
situation
of
rivers
Ganga
and
Yamuna
and
said
that
schemes
were
not
implemented
properly
by
the
authorities.
"We
are
talking
about
Rs
91,000
crore.
It
appears
that
only
Rs
14,000
crore
has
been
spent.
We
have
no
idea
where
these
Rs
14,000
crore
has
gone.
Maybe,
the
fund
was
used
for
good
purposes
but
now
Rs
77,000
crore
is
left.
You
are
sitting
on
it,"
the
bench
told
the
Centre.
"It
is
meant
for
the
sake
of
environment
of
the
country
and
for
benefit
of
the
people.
What
are
you
doing
on
it?
Why
this
is
not
being
utilised,"
the
bench
asked.
The bench observed this after Additional Solicitor General A N S Nadkarni, representing the Centre, referred to an affidavit filed by the government in which it said that Rs 91,000 crore was collected under various funds created on the court's orders for protection of the environment.
Nadkarni said out of these Rs 91,000 crore, Rs 14,000 have been spent so far by the states and the remaining funds were lying with states and not with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
"What
about
the
people
of
this
country?
They
also
have
the
rights.
States
like
Karnataka
and
Odisha
have
got
a
huge
amount
of
money
(from
these
funds),"
the
bench
said.
"Tell
us
for
the
sake
of
the
country
as
to
how
you
are
going
to
spend
this
money
for
the
betterment
of
the
country,"
the
bench
said.
Nadkarni told the court that several circulars have been issued to the states about these funds and the Centre has also instructed that this money should not be used for other purposes like foreign tours.
"There
is
no
point
is
saying
that
you
have
issued
circulars.
Are
these
circulars
being
implemented
properly,"
the
court
said.
When
the
Centre
said
that
these
funds
were
lying
with
the
states,
the
bench
shot
back,
"You
ask
them.
States
are
not
in
a
different
country.
They
are
part
of
India.
You
ask
them
what
they
propose
to
do
with
these
funds."
Nadkarni
told
the
court
that
audits
were
being
done
by
the
Comptroller
and
Auditor
General
of
India
(CAG)
and
states
also
have
their
accountant
generals
for
an
audit
of
funds.
However,
the
bench
referred
to
a
separate
matter
related
to
funds
meant
for
the
welfare
of
building
and
construction
workers
across
the
country
and
said
that
as
per
CAG's
report
filed
in
the
court,
the
money
was
used
for
the
purchase
of
laptops
and
washing
machines.
"These persons (construction labours) are illiterate and do not even have proper clothes to wear and the government says that we have purchased laptops and washing machines for them. Is it some kind of joke," the bench asked.
The apex court also observed that in a similar matter in Himachal Pradesh, funds meant for other purposes were used for purchasing I-Phones, TVs and cars.
An advocate, assisting the court as an amicus curiae in the matter, referred to an apex court judgement delivered in July 2011 and said that in that verdict, the court had asked the Centre to appoint a national regulator to monitor the utilisation of several funds.
However, the Centre said that too much of regulators might lead to more corruption in the country. The bench also observed that even after seven years of the verdict, national regulator has not been appointed in the country.
It said that the Centre has a responsibility to ensure that states spent these funds in a proper manner.
"We
want
to
make
it
clear
that
this
Rs
91,000
crore
funds
cannot
be
treated
as
revenue
of
the
Union
of
India
or
the
states,"
it
said
and
asked
the
Centre
to
write
to
the
states
on
this
issue.
"We
expect
that
chief
secretaries
of
the
states
will
respond
immediately
to
the
communication
of
the
Union
of
India
within
a
week
or
a
maximum
of
10
days,"
it
said.