HC orders notice on PIL against stopping of schemes

Chennai, Mar 16 (UNI) Madras High Court today ordered notice, returnable by one week to the Chief Election Commissioner, Election Commission of India and four others, on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), seeking to restrain them from stopping the implementation of various relief and rehabilitation schemes.

The PIL submitted that the schemes were already under process and could not be stopped on the premise of announcement of election schedule and the model of code of conduct coming into force.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice A P Shah and Ms Justice Prabha Sridevan also ordered notice to Chief Electoral Officer and Secretary to Public (Election-III) Department, State Chief Secretary, Special Commissioner and Commissioner for Revenue Administration and the District Election Officer and Commissioner, Corporation of Chennai, on a PIL filed by Saidapet 'Podhu Nala Sangam'.

The PIL also sought to restrain the authorities concerned from stopping the implementation of free Dhoti and Saree to the people of below poverty line as the beneficiaries had already been identified and the scheme was already under implementation.

In its petition, the Sangam submitted that the Centre and the state governments had announced various relief and rehabilitation schemes for the tsunami affected people and the works were underway.

Similarly, the State government had already been implementing various schemes for the flood affected people.

But the authorities had suddenly stopped the implementation of these schemes stating that the model code of conduct had come into force.

UNI XR VV SHR DB2347