AAP prioritised publicity over concrete action: Sirsa

The Delhi government presented a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in the Assembly on Tuesday, revealing severe lapses in the previous administration’s handling of vehicular air pollution. Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa criticised the former government, accusing it of negligence, mismanagement and prioritising publicity over concrete action.

According to the CAG report, more than 1.08 lakh unfit vehicles were issued pollution under control (PUC) certificates despite exceeding emission limits. The audit further found that 76,865 vehicles were tested and certified at the same center within a minute, an operational impossibility, while 7,643 PUC certificates were issued simultaneously, raising concerns about regulatory oversight.

Minister Sirsa highlighted the decline in Delhi’s public transport infrastructure under the previous government. “The DTC bus fleet shrank from 89 per cent operational capacity to 68 per cent, forcing more people to rely on private transport, which worsened air pollution,” he stated.

Additionally, a 2021 tender for 380 electric buses stalled, with only two buses added to the fleet in 2022, delaying much-needed improvements. A Rs 3-crore route rationalisation study was also abandoned after funds were spent, reflecting what Sirsa called a pattern of inefficiency.

The CAG report also flagged several failed pollution control initiatives. A Rs 22-crore smog tower project had negligible impact and Rs 53 crore was spent on advertising the odd-even scheme without significant results in reducing pollution. Meanwhile, an air pollution study commissioned by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) was abruptly terminated in 2020, yet Rs 87.60 lakh was paid to the university conducting it.

“The previous government reduced air pollution on social media while ignoring the ground reality,” Minister Sirsa remarked, criticising unfulfilled promises such as monorails, light rail transit and electric trolley buses.

Under Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s leadership, the Delhi government now aims to implement sustainable and effective air pollution control measures to protect public health. “We are committed to ensuring that such failures are not repeated and that Delhi residents breathe cleaner air,” Sirsa said.