New Delhi, Oct 25 (PTI) Delhi Services Minister Atishi on Wednesday accused Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) chairman Ashwini Kumar of overturning a cabinet's decision on pollution in the city and said the matter will be referred to the NCCSA for action against him.

"The matter will now be referred to the National Capital Civil Services Authority (NCCSA) and the lieutenant governor, who will make the final decision. I am hopeful that the LG will make a decision in the best interests of the two crore Delhi residents,” she said at a joint press conference with Environment Minister Gopal Rai.

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Atishi alleged that Kumar, who is also principal secretary (home), "unilaterally overturned the cabinet's decision without consulting the minister concerned".

No immediate reaction was available from Kumar whose suspension was recommended by Rai.

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According to Atishi, the Delhi Cabinet in July 2021 decided to conduct a real-time apportionment study to identify sources of pollution in the city. IIT Kanpur was chosen as a partner for this study, along with organisations like The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER).

A site with advanced equipment was established in central Delhi to collect data using chemical and mathematical modelling, she said, adding a study lab was set up in November 2022 to collect real-time apportionment data.

The study last year revealed that a major source of pollution in the city is the use of "angithi" (brazier) by security guards and others. Additionally, the study found that different hotspots have different sources of pollution, Atishi said.

The cost of the study was Rs 12 crore, with Rs 10 crore for purchasing equipment and Rs 2 crore for conducting the study.

However, at this critical time when the city's pollution levels are soaring, the DPCC chairman "overturned" the cabinet's decision and halted the operations of the lab, she said, adding payments are pending while machinery worth Rs 10 crore are lying unused.

How can the DPCC chairman stop the real-time apportionment study without the cabinet's permission, Atishi asked and alleged since the passing of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act 2023, Delhi government officials have been obstructing public welfare work.

Incidentally, Kumar is member secretary of NCCSA that is headed by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Chief Secretary of the Delhi government is third member of the panel. PTI VIT

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)