The Supreme Court today directed the Delhi government to contribute ₹500 crore from the Environment Compensation Charge (ECC) fund to the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor being constructed linking Delhi to Meerut within 10 days.
The semi-high-speed rail corridor will connect Delhi with Meerut and the estimated cost of the 82.15-km stretch is ₹31,632 crore. The corridor, with 24 stations, will cover the distance from Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi to Modipuram, Meerut in 60 minutes.
A bench of Justices SK Kaul and A Amanullah asked the Centre’s counsel to obtain instructions with regard to the Delhi-Alwar RRTS corridor after the apex court informed that approval of the central government is awaited.
Therefore, the bench also asked the counsel appearing for the Delhi government to take instructions regarding sanctions for the Delhi-Panipat RRTS corridor.
Senior advocate Aparajita Singh, who is assisting the court as an amicus curia in a pollution-related matter in which the issue about RRTS has cropped up, told the bench the Centre’s approval is awaited for the Delhi-Alwar corridor, while the Delhi government’s sanction for the Delhi-Panipat corridor is also awaited.
Aparajita Singh told the bench that the Delhi government moved an application for granting ₹500 crore from the ECC fund, in which around ₹1,100 was lying, for the Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor.
She referred to the March 6, 2019 order of the apex court which directed the Delhi government to contribute ₹265 crore, which included the tax liability, from the ECC fund within 10 days for the Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor.
Earlier, The amicus contended the top court that the ECC has to be used for developing the infrastructure of Delhi to reduce pollution and the application for granting ₹500 crore from the ECC fund should be allowed as the project will help reduce the inflow of vehicles coming to the national capital.
Senior advocate ANS Nadkarni, appearing for the national capital region transport corporation (NCRTC), which is handling the project, said the Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor is scheduled to be completed in 2025 and the apex court noted in its March 2019 order that the contribution of the Delhi government towards it stands at ₹1,138 crore.
The apex court in its March 2019 order noted that the contribution of the Government of India for the Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor project is ₹5,687 crore, that of Uttar Pradesh ₹5,828 crore, and the National Capital Region of Delhi ₹1,138 crore.
Therefore, the bench noted in its order passed on Monday that the amicus, while referring to the March 2019 order, has no objection to the release of ₹500 crore on the same terms and conditions as set out in the 2019 order.
The bench stated, “We accordingly direct the Delhi government to contribute ₹500 crore from ECC funds within 10 days.”
Also, the top court took note of the submission of the NCRTC’s counsel that the Delhi government will be required to contribute another around ₹400 crore towards the corridor and make budgetary allocation for it.
The bench called upon the Delhi government to make a requisite budgetary allocation, if not already made, so the project is not stalled.
Therefore, the bench has posted the issues concerning the Delhi-Alwar and Delhi-Panipat corridor for further hearing in July.
In its March 2019 order, the apex court directed the Delhi Government to contribute ₹265 crore, which included tax liability, from the ECC fund within 10 days. It stated that the tax component was refundable and shall on refund be credited to the ECC fund.
