“Should Funds Be Used For Housing, Healthcare Or Cycle Tracks?” Supreme Court

A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan, which heard a plea for creating separate cycle tracks across the country, observed development in the country was not uniform.

“Tell us, whether money from the state exchequer be used on creating residential and educational facilities for the poor or for this (creating separate cycle tracks)?” the bench asked the petitioner’s counsel.

It went on, “In all major cities, there is acute problem of housing facilities for the poor. People are living in slums. There is lack of health facilities, educational facilities for the poor. Should all these elementary facilities be provided or these cycle tracks?” The court in the beginning referred to the petitioner’s prayer and wondered if such a relief could be granted.

“You want separate cycle tracks to be created across India. Very ambitious,” it said.

The counsel for the petitioner said several states had cycle tracks.

He said a cycle track was even there outside one of the gates of the top court but wasn’t available on taking a turn.

The petitioner’s counsel referred to the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation scheme focusing on development of basic infrastructure in selected cities and towns.

“How can we issue such a writ (for creating separate cycle tracks),” the bench said, “this is day-dreaming of the petitioner”.

The counsel referred to the issue of pollution in Delhi-NCR during winters and said having separate cycle tracks could help mitigate the problem.

The bench posted the arguments on February 10.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)