‘Misleading claims on odd-even’: L-G, AAP govt trade charges over scheme

Alleging that Monday’s announcement regarding the roll-out of the scheme from November 13- 20 was a ploy to divert attention from the ongoing pollution crisis in the capital”, L-G House officials said the file regarding the decision to implement it as a part of measures under GRAP IV was not approved by Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai.

“Subsequently, CM Arvind Kejriwal’s office conveyed his approval to deferring a decision on odd-even plying of vehicles, as proposed by Rai, since the CM was out of town,” L-G House officials alleged.

According to officials, the file had proposed discontinuing physical classes for all classes up to class XI, all public, municipal, and private offices to work on 50% strength, closure of colleges, educational institutions and non-emergency commercial activities, as well as the implementation of the odd-even scheme.

Rai and the Chief Minister had approved all proposals, except the one related to odd-even, where they wanted a decision on implementation to be taken after advice from “experts”.

“The file was subsequently sent to the L-G Secretariat for approval, which flagged this deliberate misrepresentation in its notings to the CM Office,” officials also said.

Refuting the allegations, Rai said the capital’s bureaucracy was misleading Saxena on the issue about the fact that the file being referred to only dealt with the decision to implement provisions under GRAP IV due to the dip in AQI.

It was only on November 6, Rai said, that the decision to roll out the odd-even scheme was taken at a meeting to assess the situation around air pollution by the Chief Minister.

“The decision to implement the scheme was taken on November 6, so how can it be attributed to a file which was moved on November 4? The process regarding moving the proposal for the implementation of the scheme is now underway,” Rai said.

“The Transport Department is currently working on this proposal and the file related to it will now be sent to the L-G for approval,” he added.

According to officials, the closure of schools and restriction on vehicles, including odd-even plying of vehicles, were part of the mandatory GRAP procedures and were proposed for the consideration and approval of Rai, Kejriwal, and then the L-G on October 16.

“The file was sent back by the Office of the Environment Minister on October 23, asking for a discussion… Even while the AQI kept rising from October-end and began to peak from November 2 onwards because of smoke from neighbouring states, the file was finally re-submitted to the Minister on November 3 and reached the CM’s office on the same day,” officials said.

According to officials, the CMO then noted on file that he was out of station and that the proposals had been shown to him on November 3, with the file finally being sent to the L-G Secretariat on November 4.

“Notings of the Minister… and subsequently those by the CM Office… clearly indicate that no decision whatsoever has been taken with regards to implementing the Odd-Even Scheme…,” officials said.