The Supreme Court of India has firmly directed the Delhi government to fully comply with its order to release funds for the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project, emphasizing that partial compliance is not acceptable. This directive comes in the wake of the Delhi government’s partial release of funds for the project, which aims to establish semi-high speed rail corridors connecting Delhi with Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, Alwar in Rajasthan, and Panipat in Haryana.
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A bench consisting of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia presided over the matter. During the hearing, the bench was informed that the Delhi government had partially complied with the court’s order, releasing an amount of Rs 415 crore as per a sanction order dated November 24, 2023. However, the bench noted,
“However, the sanction order itself stated that it is in ‘partial compliance’. There can be no question of partial compliance. The complete compliance must take place as per the schedule. List on December 7.”
The Supreme Court’s stance was clear and unequivocal. Justice Kaul remarked,
“You have to be arm twisted for the money which you are liable to pay. That is the problem. Why are you doing this? The issue is why you have not made budgetary provision. You can make budgetary provision for Rs 580 crore odd for advertisements. But you can’t make budgetary provision of Rs 400 odd crore which you are supposed to pay.”
Senior advocate ANS Nadkarni, representing the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), pointed out that the Delhi government’s sanction order itself admitted to partial compliance with the court’s order. He highlighted that only Rs 415 crore had been sanctioned, and Rs 150 crore for the Delhi-Panipat project had not been sanctioned.
The Supreme Court had previously expressed its frustration with the Delhi government’s reluctance to contribute its share towards the RRTS corridor. On November 21, the court had directed that funds allocated for advertisement purposes would be transferred to the project if the government failed to comply. This decision was temporarily held in abeyance for a week at the request of the Delhi government’s counsel.
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The RRTS project, executed by NCRTC, is a joint venture between the Centre and the states involved. The Delhi-Meerut project is already under construction, with the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government agreeing to pay its share of the costs. However, the Delhi government had previously expressed its inability to contribute to the remaining two stretches, citing a lack of funds.
The Supreme Court had earlier directed the Delhi government to contribute Rs 500 crore from the Environment Compensation Charge (ECC) to the RRTS corridor between Delhi and Meerut. The estimated cost of the 82.15-km stretch is Rs 31,632 crore, and it is expected to reduce the travel time between Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi and Modipuram, Meerut to 60 minutes.
This development underscores the Supreme Court’s commitment to ensuring the timely and complete implementation of crucial infrastructure projects, particularly those that have significant implications for public transportation and regional connectivity.
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