Supreme Court Questions Delhi Government's Lack of Funds for Delhi-Meerut Rapid Rail Project

On Monday, the Supreme Court of India expressed its dissatisfaction with the Delhi government over the delays in the implementation of the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transport System (RRTS) project. 

A bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul was informed by the Delhi government that it was unable to allocate funds for the project. The court questioned why the government did not have funds for a project that would ensure smooth transportation, considering it had allocated funds for advertisements. The court asked, “If you have money for advertisements, why don’t you have money for a project that will ensure smooth transport?”

In response to this, the court directed the Delhi government to place on record a detailed account of its spending on advertisements for the RRTS in the past three financial years. 

The RRTS is a semi-high-speed rail corridor that is currently being constructed. This corridor will connect the cities of Delhi, Ghaziabad and Meerut. It is one of the three rapid rail corridors planned under Phase I of the RapidX project. The project is expected to reduce travel time between Delhi and Meerut to less than an hour, and provide a safe and efficient mode of transport for the people of the region.

The Supreme Court has made it clear that the Delhi government must provide the necessary funds for the RRTS project. This is essential for the successful implementation of the project, which will benefit the people of the region by providing a reliable and affordable mode of transport. The court has also asked the government to provide an account of its spending on advertisements for the RRTS project in the past three financial years, which will provide an insight into the government’s priorities. (alert-passed)