Raj Niwas officials stated Tuesday that the dossier on GRAP stage IV implementation they gave to the lieutenant governor indicates no decision has been made on the odd-even automobile rationing plan, accusing the AAP administration in Delhi of deceiving the courts and the public, news agency PTI reported. However, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai stated that the decision to implement the odd-even plan was made on November 6 and that the file in question was handed to LG VK Saxena for clearance on November 4. He claimed that personnel were "misleading" Saxena, and said that the transport department will send the paperwork on the scheme's execution to the LG.
Earlier in the day, Rai stated that the Delhi administration will consider the Supreme Court's pollution orders while completing the odd-even system.
"The much publicised odd-even scheme to fight air pollution post-Diwali, that was announced by the AAP government yesterday is nothing but an attempt to mislead people and courts to divert attention from the ongoing severe crisis in the capital caused by air pollution," a Raj Niwas official was quoted by PTI in its report.
"The file to this effect clearly shows that the decision to implement the odd-even scheme as a part of measures under GRAP-IV was not approved by Minister Gopal Rai. Subsequently, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's office conveyed his approval to defer a decision on the odd-even plying of vehicles as proposed by Gopal Rai since the CM was out of town," the official added.
The file sent to the LG proposed that physical classes for all students up to Class 11 be discontinued and lessons be delivered online, that public, municipal, and private offices operate at half capacity, that all colleges, educational institutions, and non-emergency commercial activities be closed, and that vehicles be registered on an odd-even basis, according to a Raj Niwas official.
"Gopal Rai and the chief minister approved all proposals except that about odd-even plying of vehicles, where they wanted a decision on the implementation to be taken after advice from experts. The file was subsequently sent to the LG Secretariat for the LG's approval. The LG Secretariat has flagged this deliberate misrepresentation in its nothings to the Chief Minister's Office," he added.
In a note to the CMO, the LG Secretariat said the file was sent to them on November 4, "even as public announcements regarding the order for implementation of actions under Stage-IV of GRAP had already been made in the media, and the order was issued on November 5 itself", the official said.
"In light of this announcements to this effect in the media amounts to misleading the people as also the honourable courts, who are closely monitoring the situation arising out of severe air pollution in the city," he said.
Blaming the official of misleading the LG, Rai said: "The file on the basis of which he is citing that the odd-even proposal has come from the government is dated November 4. On the basis of this, on the evening of November 5, the CAQM decided to implement GRAP IV. The next day, on November 6, CM Arvind Kejriwal called a meeting at the Delhi Secretariat regarding air pollution. In that meeting, it was decided that odd-even would be implemented in Delhi." Following the discussion, it was announced that the odd-even arrangement will be implemented in Delhi from November 13 to November 20, according to Rai in a statement.
"The decision to implement odd-even was taken on 6th November. In such a situation, how can the odd-even be written in the file of November 4? Now the process of sending its file is going on. Odd-even is implemented under the Motor Vehicles Act. The transport department is working on this," he added.