'Will Stay Advertising Budget & Attach It,' SC Reprimands Delhi Govt

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that advertisement funds of the Delhi government be attached towards fulfillment of its share for construction of the Delhi-Alwar and Delhi-Panipat corridor of Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project.

A bench of Justices S.K. Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia said that the above order will come into force if the Delhi government fails to make financial arrangements within a period of one week.

“We will stay the advertisement budget, attach it and take it here (for RRTS project),” the bench said as it heard an application filed by the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC).

In its application, the Corporation -- which is implementing the RRTS project -- said that the Delhi government by not providing funds has breached its undertaking given earlier to the Supreme Court.

In its order, the apex court said that the rapid rail project is a “part of process of reducing pollution” and has a “vast impact” on the people. It said that the budgetary allocation made by the Delhi government for advertisement should be transferred towards the rapid rail project.

“You have breached an undertaking…You did not even come to seek an extension. You did not move an application that I (state government) cannot do in two months and will do it in three months. No such application was made,” said the Supreme Court as it listed the application for further hearing on November 28.

In July this year, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Sighvi, appearing for Delhi government, had assured the top court that the overdue amount of Rs 415 crore will be paid within two months.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had called for an affidavit from the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP detailing the funds spent by it for advertisements in the last three financial years after it expressed its inability to contribute funds for construction of the RRTS project.

“If you have money for advertisements, why don’t you have money for a project that will ensure smooth transport?” the top court had questioned.

The Delhi government has an advertisement budget of Rs 550 core in the current financial year and has spent more than Rs 1,100 crore on advertisements in the last three financial years.