Delhi High Court slams poor governance, says slogans and freebies fail city infrastructure

The Delhi High Court, on Friday (Nov 22), sharply criticised the state of civic governance in the capital, highlighting the failure of authorities to improve city infrastructure. It observed that the political leadership was preoccupied with promoting slogans rather than addressing critical issues, according to news agency PTI.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora expressed concern that politicians were neither raising nor utilising funds for Delhi’s development. Instead, resources were being diverted towards offering freebies, which, the court noted, would not contribute to infrastructure growth.

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“They are only spending it on freebies. Freebies will not make your infrastructure; they will only ensure that you remain where you are. Today, the only thing the political class is doing is selling slogans, and we are buying it,” the high court said, as reported by PTI.

The observations were made during a hearing on a petition filed by residents of the JJ cluster at Madrasi Camp in Jangpura, who are facing eviction and have sought rehabilitation.

The bench underscored the city's ongoing struggles with various crises over the past year, including drought, floods, and hazardous pollution levels. “Look at what we have gone through this year. First, we had a situation of drought and people were going on fast saying there is no water, then there was flooding and people lost their lives. Then look at this pollution and AQI level,” the court noted.

The judges emphasised that Delhi was moving from one crisis to another and called for effective governance to address these challenges. “Just look at what the city is going through. It is going from one crisis to another, and it requires very serious management,” the bench added.

The court also criticised the political establishment for not addressing the concerns of those affected. “We as the citizens have to take a call whether the city can accommodate 3.3 crore people or not. Do we have the infrastructure for 3.3 crore people or not? That's the fundamental issue which needs to be decided. We cannot be at 3.3 crore population and still grow without the expenditure or infrastructure. We need a huge outlay on expenditure. We don't have it,” it stated.

The bench also expressed frustration at the inefficiency of the city administration, pointing out that much of the burden of governance had fallen on the judiciary. “We have got a very inefficient system and all the organisations are working in silos. The entire load is coming to the judiciary. We are not supposed to be taking care of drains and unauthorised constructions, but half of the day we are doing this which is not our job. This has to be done by the administration,” it said, according to PTI.

The residents of Madrasi Camp, located near the Old Barapullah Bridge, are being evicted to facilitate the construction of a new flyover. Notices issued by the Public Works Department (PWD) in September directed them to vacate the area. However, the residents, who claim to have lived there for over five decades, have demanded alternative housing arrangements.

(With inputs from agencies)