New Delhi, Oct 10 (IANS): The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation (GMC) and Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) to deposit Rs 30 crore in an escrow account for the creation of civic infrastructure.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and S.V.N. Bhatti asked the GMC and the GDA to deposit Rs 10 crore and Rs 20 crore, respectively, within six weeks.

It said that the amount would be used to manage solid waste and the setting up of sewage treatment plants.

The bench was initially of the view that both GMC and GDA deposit Rs 50 crore. It, however, reduced the amount after the GMC counsel said that except for the collection of house tax, they don't have any other source of revenue.

On February 6, the top court sought a detailed report from the GDA on the amount collected by it over the years from the district's residents as 'development charges' and where it was spent.

A bench of Justices Khanna and M.M. Sundresh had then said that the amount collected as 'development charges' must be deposited by the Authority in an escrow account and the amount must be used only for creating civic infrastructure and provide clean environment and not for any other purpose.

A three-member National Green Tribunal (NGT) bench, headed by Chairperson, Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel (retd), had on September 6 last year, directed the civic agencies to pay Rs 200 crore as compensation. The GMC was directed to pay Rs 150 crore and GDA the rest. It had directed them to deposit the amount with the District Magistrate and be utilised for remedial measures by a committee.

The tribunal had passed the order on a report of the Central Pollution Control Board. Challenging the tribunal order, the GMC had moved the apex court.