New Delhi: The bureaucracy has developed “inertia” and does not want to take any decision, leaving it to the court to do everything, the Supreme Court said on Wednesday while slamming it for inaction.
“It is apathy and just apathy,” the apex court said.
“Over a period of time what I am observing, as a judge and an Advocate General also that the bureaucracy, completely, I think has developed some sort of inertia. They don’t want to take a decision. How to stop a car, seize a vehicle, how to stop a fire has to be done by this court. Everything we have to do. This is an attitude developed by the Executive,” a bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana said.
The top court was hearing a plea related to air pollution which has been filed by environmental activist Aditya Dubey and law student Aman Banka, seeking directions to provide stubble-removing machines to small and marginal farmers for free.
The Centre’s meeting on the issue of air pollution took place on Tuesday, said the bench, also comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and Surya Kant, and added that can they not summarise the minutes of the meeting that these are directions we have passed so that the precious time of the court is saved.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said everyone will have to buckle up and rise to the occasion.
Mehta referred to a fictional incident and said, “One king decided once that no one should sleep hungry. One horseman was sleeping, the officials woke him up and asked if he was hungry. When the horseman said yes I am hungry, he was not allowed to sleep. So no one was allowed to sleep.”
The Solicitor General said his narration was on a lighter note without any ill will towards anybody.
—PTI

Press Trust of India