Delhi govt's even-odd scheme criticised in Lok Sabha

New Delhi: Delhi government's decision to go in for allowing odd and even number vehicles only on alternate days to curb pollution and "exorbitant" fares charged by private airlines during the torrential rains in Chennai came under criticism in the Lok Sabha on Monday.

Raising the issue during the Zero Hour, Maheish Girri (BJP) said the Delhi government has proposed a scheme that would "inconvenience lakhs of people", but not take any action against waste-to-energy plants in Okhla, which were scheduled to be shut by 2013 but still continued to function.

The East Delhi MP said the plants were a major source of pollution and emitted gasses that could cause cancer.

The odd-and-even scheme would affect many poor people who use two-wheelers for work, he claimed.

K C Venugopal (Cong) accused private airlines of "rampant cheating" by charging exorbitant fares to Bengaluru when the connectivity to Chennai was disrupted due to torrential rains.

Noting that a round ticket to Bengaluru from Delhi was costing anywhere between Rs 50,000 to Rs 70,000, he demanded the government's intervention.

He said it was wrong for the airlines to overcharge during such emergencies. He was supported by several members, including those of AIADMK.

M K Raghwan (Cong) made a strong plea against imposing any cess and surcharges by the Centre without consulting the states. He alleged that the government was earning a lot of money at the cost of the common man, saying half the proceeds of such taxes should be shared with the states.

Abhishek Singh (BJP) pitched for the promotion of Chattisgarhi language, while Gopal Shetty (BJP) wanted a minimum of Rs 25,000 pension for the visually-challenged.

Prahlad Patel, also of the BJP, expressed concern over bodies of nine youths lying without cremation in Manipur for the last 96 days. He wanted the Centre to urgently intervene in the matter.