The division bench of justice Ranjana Desai and justice R More was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Rupesh Chavan pointing out that the scheme floated by the central government for the benefit of BPL families is being misused.
The Bombay high court on Wednesday lambasted the state for putting up public notices inviting below poverty line (BPL) families to appeal against their non-inclusion in the official survey.
The division bench of justice Ranjana Desai and justice R More was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Rupesh Chavan pointing out that the scheme floated by the central government for the benefit of BPL families is being misused.
The PIL said public surveys continue to ignore eligible families and include persons whose economic status is much better. Stating that the survey in his village, Nandrukh in Sindhudurg district, was not properly conducted, Chavan urged that the final list prepared by the Malwan tehsildar should be quashed and a re-survey conducted.
The petitioner’s lawyer Ajit Kenjale argued that 927 names were deleted in Sindhudurg. He said public notices were put up inviting families to appeal against their non-inclusion but families in some remote villages were too poor to do that. “It is foolish to put out such notices. They are expected to go all the way to the tehsildar’s office to file appeals. They do not know what it means,” he added.
The judges questioned additional government pleader SR Nargolkar, “You expect these poor people to go and appeal? Do you know how much money it will cost to go to a lawyer and pay the fees? There are not many lawyers who will do it for free. Besides, there will be hawks on the way who will also want money,” said Desai. “To ask such poor people to go and appeal is to deny right to them.”
Nargolkar submitted that all over the state some 91,495 names of families were struck off the list. Out of this, 65,913 families came forward voluntarily to do so. The remaining have either shifted out of the villages or were dead. He informed the court that a pilot survey is being carried out in 24 villages of 24 districts. Also, an all-India survey will commence in 2011.
The judges said there is a need to ascertain if the state is really taking steps in the right direction. They directed that Nandrukh village be taken as a pilot project for survey and its report be submitted to the court by January 15, 2011. The matter is posted to January 17, 2010.
The Bombay high court was hearing a PIL filed by Rupesh Chavan pointing out that the scheme floated by the central government for the benefit of BPL families is being misused.
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