NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday again came heavily on the Delhi govt over the delay in providing its share of funds, worth nearly 500 crores, for the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridors.Earlier, the apex court had said Delhi govt’s advertisement funds will be transferred to the project if the dues were not paid within a week.During the hearing on Tuesday, a bench of Justice SK Kaul and Justice S Dhulia said, “Problem is you have to be arm-twisted to pay money you are obligated to. We will not say it again and again. Pay what you have to...”
The counsel of Delhi government, in the previous hearing, had assured that it will comply with the court order.The court noted that the state govenment’s advertising funds for the last 3 years came to Rs 1,100 crore and Rs 550 crore were alloted this year.
The court said that budgetary provision was something which the state government should look into but if projects of national importance were to be affected while money was being spent on advertisements, it would be inclined to direct that those funds be transferred for this project.
“We would have been inclined to transfer those funds. However, the last date, Dr. Singhvi (Delhi government’s counsel) had assured that the funds would be made available. We are thus constrained to direct that funds allocated for advertising be allocated for this project. At the request of Delhi government’s counsel, we keep this order in abeyance for one week. If the funds are not transferred the order will come into effect,” the court said in its order.
The city government had earlier expressed its inability to contribute funds for the project after which the Supreme Court directed it to place on record funds spent on advertisements in the last 3 years.The estimated cost of the 82.15 km stretch is Rs 31,632 crore. The corridor, from Sarai Kale Khan to Modipuram, Meerut, will take 60 minutes by road.