Delhi government blames Finance secretary for SC ire

The Arvind Kejriwal government alleged it had to face the courts ire because the Finance secretary failed to clear the file he had been sent a month ago for the release of funds for the RRTS project.

New Delhi: The Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government has alleged that it faced the Supreme Court's ire on Tuesday because the Finance secretary failed to clear a file related to the release of funds for the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project, which was sent to him a month ago.

Supreme Court Pulls Up Delhi Government

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court pulled up the Delhi government for not providing funds for the RRTS corridors to Alwar and Panipat. The court warned that if the dues were not paid within a week, the funds allocated by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for advertisements would be transferred to the project.

Delhi Government's Response

In a statement, the Kejriwal government said it supports the RRTS project and welcomes the Supreme Court's order. It clarified that it had already released the first tranche of funds, approximately Rs 80 crore, a few months back. However, the file for the release of the remaining funds was approved by the Transport Minister and sent to the Finance Secretary over a month ago, but the funds have not been released yet.

Finance Secretary's Response

Finance secretary Ashish Chandra Verma told reporters that the Finance department had released Rs 80 crore for the RRTS project as demanded by the Transport department and will release further funds if asked to do so. He asserted that the department had not taken any decision regarding the release of funds for the project and whatever money is demanded by the Transport department is released.

Delhi BJP Demands Kejriwal's Resignation

Meanwhile, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva demanded Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's resignation, saying the Supreme Court's order was a serious matter. Sachdeva accused Kejriwal of not only failing the people of Delhi but also violating the directions of the Supreme Court.

RRTS Project

The RRTS project involves the construction of semi-high-speed rail corridors connecting Delhi to Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, Alwar in Rajasthan, and Panipat in Haryana. The apex court observed that budgetary provisions were the state government's responsibility, but if national projects were affected due to spending on advertisements, it would be inclined to direct the transfer of those funds to the project.

Previous Court Hearing

During a hearing on July 24, the Supreme Court had criticized the Delhi government for not fulfilling its share towards the RRTS corridors to Alwar and Panipat and directed it to release Rs 415 crore for the project within two months. The court had also noted that the Delhi government had spent Rs 1,100 crore on advertisements in the last three financial years.

National Capital Region Transport Corporation

The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) is executing the RRTS project, which is a joint venture between the Centre and the states involved. The Delhi-Meerut project is already under construction, and the Arvind Kejriwal government has agreed to pay its share of the cost. However, the Delhi government had earlier refused to share the financial burden for the remaining two stretches, citing a scarcity of funds.

Earlier Court Directive

The top court had earlier directed the Delhi government to contribute Rs 500 crore from the Environment Compensation Charge (ECC) to the RRTS corridor being constructed between Delhi and Meerut.

The Delhi government's allegation against the Finance Secretary and the Supreme Court's stern warning reflect the seriousness of the issue. The court's order to transfer funds allocated for advertisements to the RRTS project highlights the need for responsible spending of public funds. The project's completion will enhance regional connectivity and benefit commuters.