On Friday, the Delhi High Court established a committee tasked with overhauling and reforming the administrative, financial, and physical infrastructure in the national capital.

The Division Bench, consisting of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, issued the order after observing that Delhi is constantly facing crises, with various authorities in the city merely shifting responsibility.

The Court stated that the Committee will be led by the Delhi Chief Secretary and will include the Delhi Police Commissioner, the Vice-Chairman of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), and the Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi as its members.

The Committee has been ordered to submit a report to the High Court within eight weeks.

“Keeping in view the aforesaid there is no wonder Delhi is going from one crisis to another. One day there is a drought and the next day there is a flood. It is time that administrative, financial and physical infrastructure of Delhi is relooked at,” the Court observed.

“With population in excess of 3 crores, Delhi needs a more robust physical, financial and administrative infrastructure. Due to various subsidy schemes, the migration in Delhi is only increasing and its population is also increasing. The financial situation of MCD is not healthy… There are no funds with civic agencies to carry out major infrastructure projects. Physical infrastructure in Delhi was laid nearly 75 years ago. The infrastructure is not only inadequate but poorly maintained as well. Recent tragedies show that the orders of the court are not implemented and are treated as water over duck's back.”

The Court also criticized the Delhi government for not holding a single cabinet meeting since March, following the arrest of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case. 

The order was issued while addressing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the organization Kutumb, which sought a high-level investigation into the deaths of three civil services aspirants in the basement of a coaching center in the Rajendra Nagar area. Additionally, the High Court expressed dissatisfaction with the Delhi Police's investigation into the incident and transferred the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).