If foreign aid distribution problem continues, the court said it will pass orders. (File)
New Delhi:
The Delhi High Court today told the Centre that when allocating foreign aid, in the form of medicines and equipment, for the national capital, the same should not just go to the hospitals and institutions managed by the central government.
A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli said if aid was being given to the national capital, let the Delhi government distribute it.
“When you give to Delhi, you should look beyond institutions and hospitals being managed by the central government. The aid should go where it is most needed and can be most utilised.
“It should go where it serves the purpose for which it has come — for the benefit of COVID patients,” the bench said.
It also made it clear that if the situation was not remedied, it would not hesitate to pass appropriate orders.
“We do not want to stoop to this level of quibbling, but if this (distribution problem) continues we will pass orders,” the court added.
The central government claimed that the distribution of the aid was “targeted and equitable”.
It also said that initially the distribution was centralised, but now it was being sent to the states who decide to which institutions they want to give the aid.
The court said that till yesterday aid for Delhi was not being given to the government here for distribution and asked the Centre from when the situation has changed.
Even the amicus curiae — senior advocate Rajshekhar Rao — told the court that according to certain documents on record, the aid was going to institutions in Delhi and not the Delhi government.
The court directed the Centre to give a chart indicating how much aid has been sent to Delhi and to which institutions it has been distributed.
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