HC issues notice to Punjab govt, seeks explanation on Mukhya Mantri Tirth Yatra Scheme
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has asked the Punjab government to file an affidavit explaining why the recently launched Mukhya Mantri Tirth Yatra Scheme should not be stayed.
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The high court in October 2022, while directing the accused to join the proceedings before the trial court, had ordered that till then, the arrest of the petitioner-accused was stayed.(File)The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Saturday issued notice to the Punjab government over a public interest litigation challenging the recently launched Mukhya Mantri Tirth Yatra Scheme, asking it to file an affidavit before the next hearing explaining why the scheme should not be stayed.
The high court bench of acting Chief Justice Ritu Bahri and Justice Nidhi Gupta issued notice to the state on the plea of the petitioner Parvinder Singh Kittna. The petitioner, through counsel H C Arora, had challenged the scheme launched by the Punjab government on November 27 and wanted it to be stayed.
The petition mentioned that the scheme “involves running of 13 trains during the period of 13 weeks during the current financial year, and each train to accommodate 1000 devotees. Besides, 10 buses have to run every day from various places in the State of Punjab to different destinations, and each bus to carry 43 passengers. The scheme involves spending of Rs 40 crore during the current financial year, over a period of 13 weeks. Overall, 50,000 persons have to be benefited by the Scheme, during the current financial year.”
The petitioner argued that the scheme was a “wastage of huge amount of tax payers money” and would not result in “any development or welfare”. “Rather, the scheme is against letter and spirit of the directions issued by the Supreme Court of India in a judgement titled Union of India and Others versus Rafique Shaikh Bhikan and Another, in 2022, wherein by taking notice of the expenditure involved in giving subsidy to the various persons of Muslim community for Haj Yatra, the Supreme Court directed the central government to progressively reduce the Haj subsidy, and to completely eliminate it within a period of 10 years from the date of the said judgement,” the petitioner submitted.
During the hearing on Saturday, the high court asked the state government to explain, by filing an affidavit before the next date of hearing on December 12, from how many people the government has received a demand for starting such a scheme.
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