The Supreme Court has issued strict directions to the Delhi Government, mandating that all 204 vacancies in the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) must be filled by September 30, 2025. Failure to comply will be treated as aggravated contempt, the Court has warned.
A bench of Justice Abhay S. Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan passed the order while hearing a suo motu contempt case. This case addresses the non-filling of crucial posts in pollution control boards and committees across Delhi and other NCR states.
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“We cannot tolerate laxity being shown by the government especially when Delhi is worst affected in terms of air pollution at least three months in every year,” the Supreme Court stated in its order.
The direction came after the Court noted that out of 344 sanctioned posts, only 83 have been filled, and the recruitment process is underway for 36 more. The Court emphasized that Delhi suffers the most during winter due to dangerous air pollution levels.
“The maximum issue is in Delhi of pollution,” Justice Oka remarked.
Senior Advocate Aditya Sondhi presented the vacancy details and recruitment updates during the hearing. The affidavit submitted by the Chief Secretary of Delhi confirmed that 121 positions remain vacant, severely affecting the functioning of the DPCC.
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“We make it clear that if all the vacancies are not filled in, it will be a case of aggravated contempt,” the Court warned.
The Supreme Court further ordered the Delhi Government to initiate recruitment for anticipated vacancies at least six months in advance. Any delay or non-compliance with this directive will also be treated as aggravated contempt.
“We direct the state government to start the process of filling in anticipated vacancies at least 6 months in advance. Even non-compliance of this shall be considered aggravated contempt,” the Court observed.
Previously, on August 27, 2024, the Court had directed the Chief Secretaries of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Rajasthan to ensure all posts in their Pollution Control Boards and Committees are filled by April 30, 2025. When the directions were not followed, contempt notices were issued.
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Back then, vacancy rates were alarming—55% in Delhi, 35% in Haryana, 45% in Rajasthan, and 45% in Uttar Pradesh. The Court termed this as a wilful breach of its earlier order, leaving the Pollution Control Committees virtually non-functional.
Case no. – SMC(C) No. 1/2025
Case Title – In Re : Filling Of Vacant Posts In The State Pollution Control Boards And Pollution Control Committees
