New Delhi : The Delhi High Court today 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 on 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.
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 the list of 25 exempted categories.
The court issued notice to the 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 the odd-even scheme to check pollution in the capital.
The petitioners said the Delhi government should “call for a public debate before enforcing the decision”.
