Delhi to urge SC for uniform policy on overage vehicles: CM Gupta
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta
on Sunday said her government will urge the
Supreme Court
to allow uniform rules on
overage vehicles
in the national capital in line with those followed across the country.
Gupta's remarks came after Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena wrote to her saying it is "irrational" to imagine that a 10-year-old diesel vehicle has reached its end of life in Delhi while remaining roadworthy and lawful in any other city under the same law.
"This appears incongruent with the principle of legal certainty and equal treatment," he said in the letter sent to CM on Saturday.
The LG also said the government should file a review petition before the SC apprising it of the range of initiatives taken by the government in the recent past and the changed circumstances for reconsideration of its order relating to end-of-life vehicles in relation to Delhi-NCR.
Last week, the
Delhi government
urged the Centre's air quality panel to immediately suspend the fuel ban on overage vehicles and said it will make "all-out efforts" to resolve issues related to restrictions on the movement of end-of-life vehicles on city roads.
Delhi Environment Minister
Manjinder Singh Sirsa, in a letter to Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) chairman Rajesh Verma, said the fuel ban is not feasible and cannot be implemented due to technological challenges.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of an event here, Gupta said the government will echo the sentiments of the people before the Supreme Court.
"We will tell the Supreme Court about the
pollution control measures
taken by the government. The parameters that are applicable in the entire country should also apply to Delhi. We want Delhiites not to face any inconvenience," she said.
When the order to ban fuel to overage vehicles was issued by CAQM, the government was worried since then, she said.
"The previous governments never did anything to control pollution in Delhi. Hence, NGT had to intervene and take such steps. However, now the situation has changed. Our environment minister wrote a letter to CAQM and told them such a provision cannot be implemented in Delhi," she said.
The chief minister said they are committed to providing relief to people.
Gupta also pointed out that if an overage vehicle is denied fuel in Delhi, it can still be filled from neighbouring areas.
A 2018 SC judgment banned diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years in Delhi. A 2014 National Green Tribunal order also prohibits the parking of vehicles aged over 15 years in public places.
In the communication to Gupta, Saxena also suggested that the government take up the matter with the CAQM chairman, presenting the entire gamut of facts for a reconsideration of the directions relating to overage vehicles and to keep them in abeyance at least till the entire NCR region is in a state of preparedness.
He had also recommended that the government send a communication to the Union transport ministry, highlighting the regulatory challenges in implementing Registration and Functioning of Vehicle Scrapping Facility rules and the rationale for a fresh look.
Sirsa said the government has accepted the suggestions made by the LG and is moving forward accordingly.
"The chief minister will instruct the chief secretary to act on the LG's recommendations, including reaching out to the Supreme Court and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). Our stand is clear - vehicles should be evaluated based on actual emissions, not just their age," Sirsa told PTI.
He added that one of the five recommendations, which involved communicating with the CAQM, has already been acted upon.
"We have already written to CAQM. The rest of the suggestions will also be taken up in due course," he said.
Taking a swipe at the previous AAP government, Sirsa said that over 80,000 vehicles were scrapped under their policy without assessing whether they were actually polluting.
"This decision has affected thousands of families. The compensation people got was minimal, while they had to spend a lot more to buy new vehicles. It seems the policy was designed to benefit vehicle manufacturers. In contrast, we are working in the interest of Delhi residents."
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