Supreme Court's 'one week' warning to Delhi govt on RRTS dues: 'Advertisement funds to be transferred'
In July, the Supreme Court had given the Delhi government two months to clear the dues for the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the Delhi government to cough up its share ( ₹415 crore) in the RRTS project by November 28. In a strongly worded reminder, the court ordered that the sum will have to be redirected from the AAP government's advertisement budget for this year, if it failed to transfer the money to the authorities by the stipulated time.
In July, the Supreme Court had given the Delhi government two months to clear the dues for the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System.
"Why has the Delhi government not complied with the court's order? We will stay your (Delhi government’s) advertising budget. We will attach it and take it here," the court said.
The AAP government today said it would make budgetary allocations towards the RRTS project.
In response, the Supreme Court told the Delhi government's counsel it was "constrained to direct the funds allocated for advertisement purposes to be transferred to the project in question", reported Live Law.
The court said it would keep the order in abeyance for a week.
The court, citing its April order, pointed out that the Delhi government failed to comply with its directions to pay the balance amount promptly.
"If such national projects are affected, and if money is being spent on advertisement, we would be inclined to ask the money to be directed to the infrastructure," the court said.
The court also asked the Delhi government to not go back and forth on the subject.
What was Supreme Court's order in July
In July, the Delhi government told the court that it was facing scarcity of funds due to the BJP-led Central government's termination of the goods and service tax compensation scheme in June 2022.
“The sudden cessation of GST compensation has severely impacted the financial resources of the state government. This has led to a substantial reduction in the availability of funds,” the AAP government had said.
The court, however, pointed out that the government had spent ₹1100 crore over the past three financial years on advertisement.
"If ₹1,100 crore can be used for advertisement in the last three financial years, certainly money can be paid for the infrastructure project," the court had said.
The priority section of the RRTS corridor was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month.
