Delhi govt tightens pollution control measures; announces EV push

New Delhi: Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced in the assembly on Wednesday that the Delhi government will introduce a new policy for issuing Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates to vehicles from other states, in a bid to tackle air pollution.

The move comes in response to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report titled "Vehicular Air Pollution in Delhi," which flagged lapses in the national capital’s pollution control mechanisms.

Gupta also announced a significant expansion of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in Delhi, stating that by 2026, the city will have 48,000 charging points—18,000 government-operated and 30,000 semi-private. A new Electric Vehicle Policy will also be introduced soon to push EV adoption in the national capital.

Additionally, six new air quality monitoring centres will be set up to improve pollution tracking and enforcement.

The chief minister revealed plans to establish a new eco-park dedicated to processing electronic waste, aiming to curb air pollution caused by improper disposal of e-waste.

To strengthen the public transport system, Gupta said that 5,500 buses will be maintained by the end of this year, and 11,000 buses will be on the roads by 2026. The routes of public buses will also be reevaluated to address loopholes in the system.

Furthermore, the Delhi government plans to file litigation to reclaim the shares of DIMTS (Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System) that were previously sold to a private player.

Commenting on the CAG report, Assembly Speaker Gupta stated, "The Public Accounts Committee should examine this report thoroughly and identify the persons who failed to perform their duties. As per the contents of the report, there seem to have been serious lapses on the part of the government. The PAC shall submit its report within three months, and the departments are directed to submit their ATNs within a month."

In total, eight CAG reports out of 14 have been tabled in the house, including some presented during the first session. The CAG reports on finance and appropriation accounts of the previous AAP government in Delhi revealed non-submission of bills and utilization certificates worth hundreds of crores of rupees, raising concerns about the risk of fund misuse. These reports have now been referred to the Assembly's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for investigation except one on DTC to Public Undertakings Committee.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, who also holds the finance portfolio, had earlier presented the Delhi government’s 2025-26 budget on March 25, with an outlay of Rs one lakh crore. She described it as a "historic" budget and a step towards making Delhi self-reliant.

The first budget session of the eighth legislative assembly was adjourned sine die.