RRTS project: SC pulls up Delhi govt for not providing its share of funds
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Tuesday pulled up the Delhi government for not providing funds for the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridors to Alwar and Panipat, and said if the dues were not paid within a week, the funds allocated by the AAP government for advertisements will be transferred to the project.
The RRTS project entails semi-high speed rail corridors connecting Delhi to Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, Alwar in Rajasthan, and Panipat in Haryana.
The apex court said budgetary provision was something which the state government should look into but if such national projects were to be affected and money was spent on advertisements, it would be inclined to direct that those funds be transferred for this project.
A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia observed that on July 24, the counsel representing the Delhi government had assured the top court that payment would be made towards the project.
"We are thus constrained to direct that funds allocated for advertisement purposes will be transferred to the project in question," the bench said.
"At the request of the counsel for Delhi government, we keep this order in abeyance for one week and if the funds are not transferred, the order will come into operation," it said.
While hearing the matter on July 24, the apex court had berated the Delhi government for "throwing its hands up" over contributing its share towards the two RRTS corridors to Alwar and Panipat, and directed it to provide Rs 415 crore for the project within two months.
On Tuesday, the bench was hearing an application raising the issue of non-payment of funds by the Delhi government for the project.
When the counsel representing the Delhi government said they needed to file a reply in the matter, the bench shot back, "What reply? You have not complied".
"Why did you not comply? I told you that day, I will attach your advertising revenue. I am going to stay the advertising budget," Justice Kaul told the lawyer.
The bench, which posted the matter for hearing on November 28, expressed its displeasure that the Delhi government has not complied with the assurance given to the court in July.
It said the Delhi government did not even come to the court to seek extension of time for making the payment for the project.
"You can't take this court for granted," the bench said.
The Delhi government had earlier expressed its inability to contribute funds for the RRTS project after which the apex court had directed it to place on record funds spent on advertisements in the last three years.
On July 24, the apex court had noted that Delhi government has spent Rs 1,100 crore on advertisements in the last three financial years.
The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) is executing the project, a joint venture between the Centre and the states concerned.
The Delhi-Meerut project is already under construction, and the Arvind Kejriwal government has agreed to pay its share of the costs.
The Delhi government had earlier refused to share the financial burden for the remaining two stretches, citing a paucity of funds.
The top court had earlier directed the Delhi government to contribute Rs 500 crore from the Environment Compensation Charge (ECC) to the RRTS corridor being constructed between Delhi and Meerut.
The estimated cost of the 82.15-km stretch is Rs 31,632 crore. The corridor, with 24 stations, will cover the distance from Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi to Modipuram, Meerut in 60 minutes.
Of the 82.15 km-long corridor, Delhi will have around 13 km with stations at Sarai Kale Khan, New Ashok Nagar and Anand Vihar.
Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had told the Rajya Sabha in February that the Delhi government has not agreed to provide financial support for the Delhi-Shahjahanpur-Neemrana-Behror and Delhi-Panipat Regional Rapid Transit System corridors.
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People must do politics; elected representatives must work, says Actor Prakash Raj
Kalaburagi: Actor and activist Prakash Raj has said that in a democracy, politics must be done by the people, while elected representatives are meant to work and serve after winning elections.
Speaking at the launch of Vartha Bharati's Kalyana Karnataka edition in Kalaburagi on Saturday, Prakash Raj said that once representatives are elected, their only responsibility is service. “This is our tax, our country. Service is the only job of people’s representatives. They come to seek votes every five years; the people do not,” he said.
Releasing the newspaper’s special issue at the event, he asserted that the distinction between people and politicians must never be reversed. “This is our country. Citizens must continuously engage in politics, and politicians must continuously work. Never change this order. Politics belongs to the people,” he said.
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Quoting writer P. Lankesh, Prakash Raj said newspapers, media, artists, and citizens must act as a permanent opposition. “They must be the voice of the people without seeking the patronage of the ruling party. Only then can they work fearlessly,” he said. He stressed the need to clearly tell today’s society who must engage in politics.
Referring to regional imbalance, he said Karnataka has become Bengaluru-centric and confined largely to southern Karnataka. With Vartha Bharati entering the Kalyana Karnataka region, he said the newspaper must contribute to the region’s development by consistently reporting its issues with a strong voice.
Prakash Raj also spoke about the role of independent media, saying that anyone can be swept away in a flood, including dead fish, but to swim against the current requires life. “Independent media have that life. Ravish Kumar, The Wire, and Vartha Bharati have the courage to swim against the flood,” he said.
He warned that fear strengthens authoritarianism. “If we are not afraid, they will be afraid,” he said, alleging that institutions such as the police, Election Commission, courts, and media are being pressured, silenced, and manipulated for political benefit. Expressing concern over the denial of bail to Umar Khalid, he said there is a visible lack of conscience in institutions meant to deliver justice to the people.
Recalling the early years after Independence, Prakash Raj said there was once fear of the police but also faith in the judiciary. “There was confidence that injustice would be addressed in court. Today, that faith no longer exists,” he said. He alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party are responsible for the present situation.
Using a metaphor, he said India is like a pond disturbed by a demon within it. “A lotus blooms on the surface, that is the BJP. We are fighting the lotus, but the real fight should be against the RSS, the root power beneath,” he said.
Drawing parallels with past global authoritarian regimes, he said leaders like Hitler and Mussolini headed political parties and could be defeated electorally. “The RSS is not a political party. Defeating the BJP alone is not enough. The roots must be uprooted,” he said, adding that despite changes in appearance, the ideological growth remains unchanged.
Prakash Raj also raised concerns over Hindi imposition, delimitation, and what he described as political oppression of southern states such as Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh in the name of elections. He said people must recognise who is responsible for this oppression and understand the role of newspapers like Vartha Bharati in identifying and exposing it.
The event also marked the formal launch of Vartha Bharati's Kalyana Karnataka edition in Kalaburagi.
