Govt spent ` 1.5cr on ‘ public opinion meets’

The AAP government is said to have recently spent ` 1.50 crore for organising meetings to seek public opinion on odd- even car rationing formula in 272 municipal wards across the national capital. The AAP government had sanctioned ` 50,000 as advance payment to the revenue department for each municipal ward for the two- day public hearing which ended on February 7.

A highly- placed source said that the advance money given to the revenue department had been drawn from the Air Ambience Fund. He said that the public hearing was convened on the directions of deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia to get feedback from all the municipal wards for the re- launch of the odd- even scheme. Releasing the advance money, the Kejriwal government had made it clear that the revenue department should submit relevant vouchers in original of expenditure duly verified and stamped by appropriate authority in the office of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee within a month

from the date of organisation of the public meetings.

The AAP government had first implemented the oddeven formula on a trial basis for 15 days from January 1. Buoyed by its success, the city government sought public opinion on how to take the scheme forward. During the first phase of the odd- even experiment, an advance payment of ` 5 lakh from the Air Ambience Fund had been made to the divisional commissioner ( revenue) for deployment and training of manpower for the scheme. On behalf of the divisional commissioner ( revenue), about ` 25 lakh had also been released in favour of the Delhi Tourism and transport department for deployment of vehicles during the 15- day drive.

A senior officer said the proposal for releasing ` 30 lakh to the divisional commissioner and the DTTDC was first sent for concurrence to the finance department that is said to have returned the file with the observation: “Since the proposed expenditure is not to be met from the Consolidated Funds of Delhi. The concurrence of FD is not required in this case, however, the administrative department may be advised to incur the expenditure out of the Air Ambience Fund as per rules and regulations, if any, made under the Air ( Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.”

The Air Ambience Fund was created in Delhi through an order in 2008. As per the directions of the said order, “The Air Ambience Fund will be utilised for the development and use of clean air technologies, waste management and such other related activities, which promote clean air policies so as to reduce air pollution and specially vehicular pollution in Delhi.”