JE News Desk: The Supreme Court today directed the Delhi government to provide Rs 415 crore for the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project within two months. The verdict on the same came after the Delhi government had expressed its inability to contribute funds for the joint project after which the top court had directed it to place on record funds spent on advertisements in the last three years.
On Monday, a bench of Justices S K Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia noted that the AAP government has spent Rs 1,100 crore on advertisements in the last three years, they should also pay up for the ambitious project.
Earlier on July 3, the SC had pulled up the Arvind-Kejriwal-led govt in the national capital to consider the ambitious venture as a “development project of considerable importance”.
More About RRTS Project:
The RRTS (Regional Rapid Transit System) project is an ambitious initiative aimed at establishing semi-high-speed rail corridors that will connect Delhi to three cities: Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, Alwar in Rajasthan, and Panipat in Haryana. The project is being executed by the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), a joint venture between the Centre and the concerned states.
The Delhi-Meerut corridor, a part of this project, is already under construction, and the Delhi government has agreed to contribute R Rs.1,180 crore towards its share of the costs. However, for the remaining two stretches, the Delhi government has declined to share the financial burden, citing a shortage of funds.
In March 2019, the Delhi government made its first payment of Rs 265 crore for the Delhi-Meerut corridor from the ECC (Environment Compensation Charge) fund, under the concession granted by the top court. Subsequently, in April, the court permitted the Delhi government to withdraw an additional Rs 500 crore from the fund. However, the court directed both the Centre and all relevant state governments to allocate suitable budgets for the entire RRTS project going forward.
The primary objective of the RRTS project is to provide fast and reliable transportation options across the National Capital Region, with the aim of reducing vehicular pollution in Delhi. The top court is closely monitoring the project as part of the MC Mehta case, which involves efforts to mitigate air pollution in Delhi, and several directives have been issued accordingly.
The Delhi-Meerut corridor is expected to be operational in 2025, and the NCRTC has informed the court that the Delhi-Alwar corridor, passing through Rewari, is awaiting approval from the Centre, while the Delhi-Panipat corridor is pending approval from the Delhi government.