L-G, Delhi Govt At Loggerheads Over Odd-Even Scheme Implementation

The Delhi government announced on Tuesday that the odd-even car rationing scheme will be implemented from November 13. This comes after Raj Niwas officials alleged that the file sent to the lieutenant governor regarding the implementation of GRAP stage-IV stated that no decision had been taken on the scheme.

Confusion Over Implementation

Responding to the allegations, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said that the decision to implement the odd-even scheme was taken on November 6, but the file that the official was referring to was actually sent for LG VK Saxena's approval on November 4. Rai further alleged that Raj Niwas officers were misleading Saxena and added that the file on the odd-even scheme will be sent to the LG by the transport department.

Supreme Court's Scrutiny

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court had questioned the effectiveness of the odd-even car rationing scheme and termed it "all optics." The court was hearing a case related to air pollution in Delhi.

Accusations of Misleading

Accusing the AAP government of misleading people and the courts, a Raj Niwas official said that the odd-even scheme was an attempt to divert attention from the ongoing severe air pollution crisis in the capital. The official claimed that the file sent to the LG clearly showed that the decision to implement the scheme was not approved by Minister Gopal Rai.

The Proposed Measures

The file sent to the LG proposed several measures to combat air pollution, including discontinuing physical classes for all up to Class 11, conducting lessons online, reducing the strength of public, municipal, and private offices to 50%, closure of all colleges, educational institutions, and non-emergency commercial activities, and running vehicles on an odd-even registration number basis.

Response from Gopal Rai

Responding to the allegations, Rai said that the file citing the odd-even proposal from the government was dated November 4. Based on this, the CAQM decided to implement GRAP IV on the evening of November 5. The next day, on November 6, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called a meeting regarding air pollution, where it was decided to implement the odd-even scheme in Delhi. Rai asserted that the decision to implement the scheme was taken on November 6 and the process of sending the file for approval is underway.

The odd-even car rationing scheme has been a subject of debate and scrutiny, with some questioning its effectiveness in curbing air pollution. Despite the controversy, the Delhi government is moving forward with the implementation of the scheme from November 13 to November 20. It remains to be seen how effective the scheme will be in addressing the severe air pollution crisis in the capital.