The Supreme Court today extended till October 18 the deadline for conversion of the city bus fleet to CNG fuel subject to tough conditions. The deadline was to expire on Monday.
The relaxation is subject to the central and Delhi governments' taking appropriate steps to ensure that diesel is not adulterated. Checking by a mechanism to be evolved by the government shall be done at the petrol pumps and on the vehicles. The judges stated that they were extending the deadline in the interest of the public, especially of the commuters.
The bench headed by Chief Justice AS Anand directed in their order that strict action should be taken against the defaulters found dealing in substandard diesel. The court clarified that their earlier orders did not cover ambulances, diagnostic vehicles and those used by the SPG.
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The court once again emphasised that CNG is the only clean fuel available at present and the 10,000 odd buses plying in the capital should switch over to it. The order said that the debate whether CNG was good or bad had been started only to confuse the issue, and shift the focus from achieving a clean environment. "Those doing so do not realise their responsibility towards the citizens who suffer due to vehicular pollution. We only say, forgive them, for they do not know what they say."
During the hearing, the judges came down heavily on the central government and Indraprastha Gas Limited for giving contradictory figures about the availability of the fuel. According to some of their earlier statements, there was surplus gas, while in some new statements there is a heavy shortage. The Chief Justice asked them "to stop taking the court for a ride". Counsel for the transport corporation said the gas was supplied to Essar and Reliance companies, which manufacture diesel. It was also revealed that gas was being supplied by pipe to posh colonies in Delhi and some industries.
Referring to statements made by various quarters on the CNG issue, the bench said, "the irresponsibility of certain statements is mind boggling. But whether they want to take political advantage of it or not, does not bother us." The judges stressed that the poor commuters and those who bought CNG buses investing money on them do not know their fate. They are caught between the "acrobatics of the Centre and the Delhi government".