The National Green Tribunal on Monday rapped the Centre for delay in introduction of a new scrapping policy, which will provide incentives to people to surrender their old polluting vehicles, and asked it to expeditiously frame a scheme in this regard.
The green panel said more than a year has passed since it had directed the Centre to formulate a “scrapping policy”, which would provided incentives to scrap old cars and buy new ones.
‘No progress’
“You [Ministry of Heavy Industries] made tall claims before us that you are going to provide incentive for scrapping of vehicles, but did nothing. We had asked you to provide scrapping procedure and propose site as well. What have you done? The Ministry had assured us that it was in the process of providing methodology and incentives to those scrapping their vehicles... We direct the Ministry to take clear instructions in this regard,” a Bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said.
Scrap yard
The green panel also directed the Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh governments to hold a meeting with the Delhi government Chief Secretary for identifying land in border areas to park vehicles banned from plying in Delhi-NCR. “This meeting should take place immediately and its minutes placed on record before the tribunal on the next date of hearing,” it said.
Advocate Balendu Shekhar, appearing for the Ministry of Heavy Industries, told the Bench that it was in talks with the Ministry of Finance and was examining the viability of a scrapping policy. He also said that the Ministry has written to the State governments to give their views on the policy, but no response had been received till date.
During the hearing, the Delhi Development Authority told the Bench that at present two sites have been identified at Narela and Rohini, which can be temporarily provided to the Delhi Police for parking of seized vehicles. To this, the Bench said: “We make it clear that these sites will be given on a temporary basis and no permanent structure will be raised in the area. Since no transfer of land is being done to the police, no charges will be paid to the DDA.” — PTI
