Why are women and two-wheelers exempted from odd-even scheme, High Court asks Delhi govt
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the AAP government to clarify why women and two-wheelers have been exempted from the odd-even number plate scheme coming into effect here from Friday.
"Get instruction why such exemption (women and two-wheelers) is necessary," a bench of justices Hima Kohli and Sunil Gaur said while directing the Delhi government to submit data on the pollution levels and vehicles plying during the scheme effective for 15 days starting on January 1.
The court, however, refrained from passing any interim order on a plea by Delhi resident Karuna Chhatwal, who sought direction to restrict the movement of cars driven by women drivers as well as two wheelers.
It issued notice to the Delhi government and asked them to file a status report within three days on her plea.
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On a plea by an advocate Rahul Aggarwal seeking exemption for lawyers from the scheme, the bench said if it allows them to use their vehicles then this court will be flooded with litigation from doctors and other officials, who have not been included in list of 25 exempted categories.
The court issued notice to Delhi government on another issue raised by advocate Manoj Kumar, who filed a joint PIL with Gunjan Khanna, a petitioner who commutes from Noida, challenging the December 28 notification related to odd-even scheme to check pollution in the capital.
The petitioners said Delhi government should "call for public debate before enforcing the decision".
The court has now listed the three petitions for further hearing on January 6, when the court will hear other four PILs filed by different individuals against the AAP government's plan on the odd-even number plate formula.
The vehicles exempted from odd-even scheme includes the President, Vice President, Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India, Union Ministers and Governors and Chief Ministers of states and Union Territories "except that of Delhi".
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has clarified while announcing the scheme that he and his cavalcade will not avail the exemption offered to the VIPs.
Kejriwal had earlier said that the scheme has received all the necessary approvals and a notification for its implementation would be issued next Monday. Violators would attract a penalty of Rs 2,000, he had said.
The car-rationing scheme would be applicable from 8 am to 8 pm on all days except Sunday and on cars with NCR and other states' registration number plates.
Cars being driven by a woman alone or even while being accompanied by children up to the age of 12 would be exempted while cases of medical emergencies would be treated on "basis of trust", the CM had announced.
Vehicles bearing defence ministry number plates and those of Special Protection Group Protectees (SPG) would not be covered by the rules under which cars bearing odd and even numbers would ply on alternate dates till January 15.
