BUSES
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court allowed the Delhi government to purchase 500 standard-floor buses to improve the woefully inadequate public transport system in the city. The city government had challenged the Delhi High Court’s order banning it from procuring standard-floor buses without providing facility for special-category commuters. It wanted around 2,000 buses, to beef up its transport fleet to 7,400 buses. However, the decision to procure standard-floor buses was challenged before the HC last year as they were not disabled friendly. With the SC allowing 500 buses to be procured as an interim measure, the Delhi government has assured that hydraulic lifts will be installed in the buses. It is unclear when a prototype of a standard-floor bus fitted with hydraulic lift will be unveiled
FREE WATER
The Delhi HC has been critical of the city government’s policy of providing 20 kilolitres of free water across the board for domestic use. “Nothing should be given free” except for where it is really needed, the HC said. The city government and the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) defended the policy saying it ensured conservation of water as there was a cap of 20 kl on free usage. The HC, however, said there were people who had illegally built several floors above the sanctioned limit. Such individuals were also getting the benefit of free water when they can afford to pay for it. It could be understood if the relief was only being granted to people living in the slum clusters, the court said
CCTVs IN CLASSROOM
The Delhi HC had in July asked the AAP government to explain the reasons and circumstances behind its proposal to instal CCTV cameras in State-run schools. A Bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C. Hari Shankar posed the query while hearing a petition seeking to bar installation of CCTV cameras inside classrooms. The plea had contended that installing cameras without any regulatory mechanism on access to its footage could lead to incidents of stalking and molestation. Taking note of the issue raised in the plea, the HC had said that “the whole idea of being under constant surveillance or scrutiny” and its effect on the children needed further deliberation
CCTV PROJECT
In December last year, the AAP government had for the first time informed the Delhi HC that the process is underway for the purchase of 1.4 lakh CCTV cameras. The court, which was dealing with a public interest case initiated by its own after the 2012 gangrape case, had then directed the Delhi Police to indicate or prepare a list of the areas/spots where the CCTV cameras are to be installed. An issue that had cropped up during one of the hearings in the case was with regard to sharing of the feed of the CCTV cameras. The Delhi Police had resisted sharing footage of the CCTV cameras and contended that policing was its preserve
