Go to Delhi high court, Supreme Court tells man who wants audit of advert budget

The petitioner, a 30-year-old paediatrician approached the court highlighting the serious issue of pollution leading to still births and respiratory problems in infants who are extremely vulnerable to severe health ailments on account of the hazardous air quality in the Capital.

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a medical doctor seeking scrutiny of the Delhi government’s expenditure on advertisements claiming that the money could be well spent on curbing the high pollution level in the Capital.

The Supreme Court refused to entertain the plea. (File Photo)

Directing the PIL petitioner to approach the Delhi high court, a bench of justices Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud and AS Bopanna said, “The issue raised can be very well dealt with by the high court.” The court allowed the petitioner to withdraw in order to move before the Delhi high court.

The petitioner, a 30-year-old paediatrician approached the court highlighting the serious issue of pollution leading to still births and respiratory problems in infants who are extremely vulnerable to severe health ailments on account of the hazardous air quality in the Capital.

The petition said, “The funds allocated towards restoration of the environmental balance, could have been effectively utilised and invested by the government (of national capital territory of Delhi) in extending financing schemes to auto-rickshaw and taxi-cab drivers to shift from usage of fossil fuels to electrically enabled vehicles, procuring more road sweeping purchase of apparatus and machinery for cleaning of roads, installation of smog towers, purchase of electrical buses, and improvement of health care infrastructure for vulnerable persons across the Capital.”

Claiming that government has to ensure that citizens enjoy their right to clean air, right to life and right to healthcare, the petition urged the court to direct the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) to conduct a targeted performance audit and forensic audit of the revenue expenditure of the Delhi government on the implementation of pollution controlling activities in Delhi.