Haj subsidy case posted to Oct 18

Lucknow, Sep 18 (UNI) The Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court today posted to October 18 the haj pilgrimage subsidy case.

A division bench comprising Justices Jagdish Bhalla and Dharmavir Sharma passed the order on a PIL filed by Bharat Nath Shukla.

Meanwhile, the petitioner submitted a supplementary affidavit informing the court that the Centre had made a budgetary provision of Rs 290 crore in 2006 for haj pilgrims.

The court has directed the repondents, Central and Uttar Pradesh governments, to file counter affidavits within two weeks.

The respondents had already filed applications for vacating the stay order granted by the Lucknow Bench on the PIL banning subsidy for haj and other pilgrimages.

Last month, the HC had barred the Central and UP governments from providing financial subsidy for haj.

A Bench comprising Justices A K Yog and O N Khandelwal had ruled that such subsidy should not be granted with regard to any pilgrimage of any other community.

UNI XC/VS PK KN1945