HC asks Centre to come clean on wheat import

Granting no interim relief in the PIL urging the court to stop the sale of imported wheat and destroy the substandard wheat lying in government godowns, the Bombay High Court has asked the union government to file a reply to the PIL, which alleges that the ‘illogical and costlier import of wheat’ has burdened the exchequer with an additional Rs4,000 crore. .

The PIL, filed on November 20 by former MP Dr Kirit Somaiya, adivasi leader Chintaman Vanga and a member of the scheduled tribe community Madhukar Khutade, was heard before a division bench of Justices JN Patel and Nishita Mhatre.

Additional solicitor general Rajendra Raghuvanshi pointed out that a similar plea filed by eco-feminist Vandana Shiva was pending before the Supreme Court.