"Contempt...": Top Court Raps Delhi Chief Secretary During Pollution Hearing

Senior bureaucrats of Delhi, including the Chief Secretary, were pulled up by the Supreme Court today over pending dues of construction workers -- a matter the Aam Aadmi Party government and the BJP have been sparring over. The court, while stopping construction work in then National Capital Territory to put a curb on the spiralling pollution, had said the workers should not suffer and the states should pay them for this period.

But in case of Delhi, only a partial payment was made. The government had announced that Rs 8,000 would be paid to each of 90,000-plus workers who were hit by the court's construction ban placed on November 18. 

"When will you pay the balance amount? They are verified that is why they were paid Rs 2000? You want workers to starve? We are straightaway issuing contempt notice to you, this is not done. This is a welfare state," the livid court demanded today.

"We will pay tomorrow sir, that was not our intention. We gave (2000) for immediate succour," responded the Chief Secretary, who had to attend the hearing online. 

The thorough questioning that started thereafter had the Supreme Court establish that the government is yet to identify te workers or have a exact figure of how many of them are there. The officials were left red faced as the court questioned what initiatives were taken to register the workers.

"Should we record your statements that there are only 90,693 construction workers in Delhi? If it is found to be false please know the consequences," asked Justice Abhay S OKa to which the Chief Secretary said they would have the figure "reverified".

Today, the Supreme Court permitted the relaxation of GRAP IV rules after the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said there has been improvement in the air quality.

The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded in Delhi today was 161 -- down from around 500 last month -- categorised as 'moderate'.
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.