The Delhi High Court on Wednesday remarked that the state government had no money to upgrade infrastructure because of the “freebie culture”, Live Law reported.
Social welfare schemes such as free public transport and concessions in electricity bills are referred to as “freebies” by some groups.
The court was hearing a petition seeking a high-level probe into the deaths by drowning of three Union Public Service Commission aspirants at a private coaching centre in New Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar on Saturday.
The three students, enrolled at Rau’s IAS Study Circle, drowned when the coaching centre’s basement flooded after a nearby drainage pipeline burst.
On Wednesday, a division bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela said that the state government was not earning enough money because of its “freebie” policies.
“You are permitting multi-storey buildings but there is no proper drain,” said Manmohan. “Your civic authorities are bankrupt. If you don’t have money to pay salaries, how will you upgrade infrastructure?”
The acting chief justice also remarked that the national capital had a population of 3.3 crore when it “was planned for six to seven lakh people”.
“How do you plan to accommodate so many people without upgrading infrastructure?” he asked, noting that there was a “major disconnect” between the city’s infrastructure and its needs.
The bench also said that the quality of the investigation so far has not been satisfactory, reported Bar and Bench.
“You have terminated junior officers but what about senior officers who should have supervised?” the court told the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. “At some time senior officers have to visit and inspect. They are not leaving their air-conditioned offices. If you think with buildings you can fight with nature, you’re mistaken.”
The bench added: “And what is this planning? One day you are complaining of drought and next day there is flood? You are not ready for anything.”
The court impleaded the Delhi Police in the petition, stating that “unauthorised construction happens in collusion with the police”.
The matter was posted for Friday with the bench directing the commissioner of Delhi’s municipal corporation to be present in the court. It also ordered the investigating officer and the deputy police commissioner to appear before it.
The public interest litigation was filed by the non-governmental organisation Kutumb.
The petitioner pointed at several similar incidents in the city’s Mukherjee Nagar and Vivek Vihar areas.
The court was also told that a letter was sent to the government regarding the illegal operations at Rau’s IAS coaching centre before the incident. Two reminders were also sent, but to no avail, they said.
Responding to this, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi said that authorities have been conducting inspections and notices were issued to around 75 institutes.
“Thirty-five were shut and 25 sealed,” said the civic body. “I am not justifying anything but action is being taken.”
The counsel for the municipal corporation also said that while the complaint was sent to the Delhi government, which allegedly did not act on it for 22 days, the blame was being entirely put on the civic body.
Also read:
- How the row over ‘freebies’ hides India’s failure to meet the basic needs of its citizens
- ‘Freebie’ row: Six charts explain why states must be allowed to make their own decisions on welfare
- What’s the difference between ‘freebies’ for the poor and ‘business incentives’ for the rich?
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