The Madhya Pradesh High Court has dismissed a PIL seeking directions to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to refrain from making fresh announcements related to schemes having monetary implications in view of existing financial burden on the state exchequer, a lawyer said on Wednesday.
The HC’s Indore bench observed that it finds no reason to entertain the petition, which was based on a news report.
A bench of Justices Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Hirdesh dismissed the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by BL Jain (68), a tax consultant from Sendhwa town in Barwani district, after hearing arguments from both sides.
The petition was filed at a time when the ruling BJP as well as the main opposition Congress are busy announcing welfare schemes to woo voters ahead of the year-end Assembly elections.
Jain, in his petition, cited a news report in a Hindi daily which said the state government was going to take a fresh loan of Rs 4,000 crore despite its poor financial condition.
“It is a settled proposition of law that a PIL filed on the basis of newspaper reporting is not maintainable. This court finds no reason to entertain the petition and the same is hereby dismissed,” said the bench.
“However, the petitioner is at liberty to approach this court again by placing on record cogent documents which substantiate the grievance raised in the instant petition and not solely on the basis of newspaper cuttings,” it said.
Jain’s lawyer Abhishek Tuganawat told PTI his client was considering various legal options after his PIL was dismissed.
