Delhi Pollution: Kejriwal govt collected over Rs 1286 cr for 'saving environment', alleges BJP
Highlights
- Amit Malviya alleges that the AAP government used public money for advertisements
- Supreme Court warns AAP govt of revenue audit
- Supreme Court directs Centre to call emergency meeting tomorrow
Delhi Pollution News: As the Supreme Court on Monday took up the issue of Delhi's air quality crisis, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) reiterated its charge that the Arvind Kejriwal government has failed in addressing the issue.
Leading the charge against the Delhi government, Amit Malviya, in-charge of BJP's National Information & Technology Department, said that the Kejriwal government collected over Rs 1286 crore in the name of saving environment. Malviya alleged that the AAP government used public money for advertisements.
"The time for audit is NOW. In response to a RTI query on 19 Sept 2021, Delhi Govt admits collecting a sum of 1286.93 crore (2015-to date) towards Environment Compensation Charge. The amount was 1439.65 crore in a response given in Assembly on 29Jul2021. Where did the money go? Ads?" Malviya said in his tweet.
'Lame excuses'
"This kind of lame excuses will force us to hold an audit of the revenue you are earning and spend on popularity slogans," the Supreme Court said on affidavit submitted by the Kejriwal government.
The AAP government, in its affidavit, told the apex court that it was ready to take steps like complete lockdown to control air pollution in the capital city.
"GNCTD (Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi) is ready to take steps like complete lockdown to control the local emissions. However, such a step would be meaningful if it is implemented across the NCR areas in neighbouring states. Given Delhi's compact size, a lockdown would have limited impact on the air quality regime," the government said.
Emergency meeting
The Supreme Court later directed the Centre to call an emergency meeting on Tuesday (November 16) to take measures like stopping non-essential construction transport, power plants and implementing work from home.
A bench, headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana, directed the concerned secretaries of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab and Delhi to attend the meeting to make their submissions before the committee formed by it.
(With inputs from agencies)
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