The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the Delhi government to immediately disburse subsidies promised under the Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy, 2020, stating that procedural hurdles cannot be used as a justification for delaying payments.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela observed that while the government has adequate funds, it has failed to release the subsidies in a timely manner. The Court made it clear that the administration cannot hide behind the absence of a specified timeline in the policy for disbursal of benefits.
As part of the order, the Court instructed the Transport Department of the Delhi government to open a dedicated bank account specifically for the subsidy payouts and ensure that the payments are made to all eligible beneficiaries without any further delay.
The direction came during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the Jan Seva Welfare Society, a registered non-governmental organisation working in the areas of public welfare and constitutional governance. The organisation approached the court under Article 226 of the Constitution, seeking a writ of mandamus to compel the government to release the pending subsidies owed to electric vehicle buyers.
In its petition, the NGO stated that the delay in disbursing subsidies was adversely impacting thousands of consumers who had purchased electric vehicles in good faith, expecting financial support under the 2020 policy. Despite the government’s public commitment, the lack of timely action had not only violated consumer trust but also hindered the broader public objective of promoting environmentally friendly mobility.
The petitioner emphasised that it had no personal stake in the matter and had taken up the issue in the public interest. It added that the extent of the problem came to light through Right to Information (RTI) queries, which revealed that subsidies had not been released as per the policy’s assurances.
The petition identified the Government of the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi as the key authority responsible for the execution of the EV Policy, while the Transport Department was noted as the nodal agency in charge of processing claims, maintaining records, and ensuring compliance.
The Court also heard representations from the governing body of Jan Seva Welfare Society, led by President Ajay Aggarwal and Secretary Sanjana Gupta, who reiterated that thousands of EV buyers had been waiting for months despite the government having the funds in hand.
