The Supreme Court while hearing a plea on the delay of the Rapid Rail Transit System (RRTS) which would connect Delhi, Meerut and Ghaziabad criticized the Delhi government for saying that it did not shed money for the project. The Supreme Court bench of Justice SK Kaul and Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia asked the Delhi government, “If you have money for advertisements, why don’t you have money for a project that will ensure smooth transport?”

After ordering the Delhi government to file an affidavit showing its spending on advertising in the last three years, an affidavit was filed and the amount spent on advertising for the last three years was shown to be Rs 1073 crores. The Bench comprising Justice SK Kaul and Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia categorically recorded in the order, “We were constrained to pass the last order only because the Delhi government had thrown its hands up for contributing their proportionate amounts”.

The bench further noted that according to the affidavit filed by the Delhi government, it (Delhi government) had spent almost Rs 1100 crores. The bench then scolded the government that if it could spend Rs 1100 crores on advertising, then it can also make contributions to the infrastructural project. Justice SK Kaul then told the Delhi government that it should either pay the money or they (Supreme Court) will attach the advertisement budget.

Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the Delhi government told the bench that the government would make the payment towards the RRTS project but also beseeched the bench that the payments be allowed to be made in instalments over a period of time on which Justice Kaul remarked that the payment schedule in itself is spread over a period of time. The bench was also informed that the state would make a budgetary provision according to the schedule that is laid down. According to LiveLaw, while accepting the State Government’s statement, the bench also passed a direction regarding payment of overdue amount.