Read Time: 03 minutes

Synopsis

The Supreme Court on Monday allowed petitioner(s) to move Delhi High Court in a plea filed against its expenditure on self-promotion and advertisement instead of focusing on controlling pollution in Delhi.

A bench of Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice AS Bopanna said that the High Court can deal with such matters.

The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed by Dr Radhika Batra through Advocates Rohit Rathi and Jai Dehadrai alleging that money coming in for curbing the pollution situation in Delhi is being diverted for advertising by the Delhi Government.

The plea had alleged that the reports suggest that PM 2.5 air pollution has claimed approximately 45,000 lives in the Delhi NCR region since January 1, 2021. However, during this period, the Delhi Government has been more focused on self-promotion evidenced by the fact that they have spent an amount of nearly Rs 293,20,00,000/- on their self-advertisement and publicity.

Furthermore, it informed the bench that Rs. 150,00,00,000/- was spent in the span of January, 2021-March, 2021 as opposed to procuring, and deputing infrastructure towards catering to the pollution menace which has become a matter of routine for the people residing in Delhi.

"This disproportionate expenditure of tax payer's money on advertisement and publicity when the people of Delhi are choking to death, warrants fixation of responsibility and accountability for the failure of the state machinery, which prima facie has taken place on account of diversion of public funds allocated under the ‘National Clean Air Programme’ towards publicity & self promotion activities of the State Government, particularly, ‘Public Relations Management', the plea added.

Case Title: Dr Radhika Batra Vs. Government of NCT of Delhi