E-Paper
PIL in HC seeks measures to prevent misuse of public funds for political rallies in Punjab
Acting on the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by one Manik Goyal, the high court bench of acting chief justice GS Sandhawalia and justice Lapita Banerji has issued a notice of motion for April 24. A detailed order is awaited.
A Mansa resident has moved Punjab and Haryana high court seeking the court’s intervention on the alleged use of public funds including public transport buses for political rallies.
Acting on the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by one Manik Goyal, the high court bench of acting chief justice GS Sandhawalia and justice Lapita Banerji has issued a notice of motion for April 24. A detailed order is awaited. The petitioner has brought before the court the grave alarming and serious issue of misuse and exploitation of state transportation public funds and other state resources for political rallies as the same is being misused by political parties for their political gain resulting in inconvenience to the public at large and also burdening the state exchequer with undue expenditure. The plea said that seven rallies were held by the ruling party in Punjab since September 2023 in which over 2,000 state buses were used, which is proved by the records he had obtained from different departments. “Those days on which these political events were to happen bus stands remained nearly empty with only private buses providing transportation services,” claims the plea.
The plea demands government be directed to ensure immediate and strict measures to prevent the misuse and exploitation of state resources for political rallies. The directions be issued to the respondents to formulate a policy in this regard and the cost incurred so far be calculated and recovery be made from the political parties, the plea added.
