‘No grievance from those deprived’: Calcutta High Court on petition against ration-voter link
The HC observation comes days after the Supreme Court declined to urgently list a petition filed by Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity challenging the government decision and asked the body to approach the HC instead.
The matter will next be heard on July 21. (File Photo)
The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday reprimanded a farm labourers’ union over its petition challenging the BJP government’s decision to deny ration benefits to those excluded from the electoral rolls after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, stating “not a single grievance” has been voiced by anyone yet.
The HC observation comes days after the Supreme Court declined to urgently list a petition filed by Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity challenging the government decision and asked the body to approach the HC instead.
Advertisement
Hearing the matter, the Division Bench said, “Not a single petition has been filed by anyone who is deprived, but your organisation is crying. No grievance has been ventilated by any person before any court so far.”
Advocate Purbayan Chakraborty, appearing for the petitioners said, “People are being deprived of food and cash benefits. In the meantime please pass some interim order that no names are deleted. They seek to exclude beneficiaries from ration and cash benefits.”
Advocate General Surajit Nath Mitra, appearing for the State, argued, “Everything is subjected to enquiry. If somebody’s name is not in the voter list, if a person is dead…their names will have to be removed. Give us some time to issue some instructions. I don’t think there is any scope of any interim order.”
The matter will next be heard on July 21.
Advertisement
The PIL was filed by the independent trade union of agricultural labourers and its state committee member to “protect the constitutional and statutory socio-economic entitlements of millions of marginalised citizens across West Bengal”.
The matter will next be heard on July 21. (File Photo) 
Share
