Nagpur: The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court has issued a notice to the State Government and ordered it to submit an affidavit by October 23 regarding the validity of various schemes of Maharashtra Government that distributed freebies during the election year.
The hearing on the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was conducted by Justice Bharti Dangre and Justice Abhay Mantri. Social activist Anil Wadapalliwar has filed the PIL which challenged freebies schemes. During a previous hearing, the High Court had directed the petitioner to submit the provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act along with other necessary information.
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In response, the petitioner submitted an application containing new information and sought permission to amend his initial application. The High Court granted his request and asked the government to respond to the amended petition. The petitioner alleged that the State’s practice of distributing freebies, such as cash handouts, subsidies, and free goods, undermines democratic principles and contributes to fiscal irresponsibility. He argued that this practice complicates Maharashtra’s financial strain which could lead to neglect in critical sectors like health and education.
It also points to the State’s growing fiscal deficit and public debt, with the fiscal deficit expected to exceed 4 percent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP). He contended that the Government’s focus on freebies diverts crucial funds away from essential public services and infrastructure which could affect healthcare, education, and overall public welfare. This practice weakens the integrity of elections, wastes a large amount of public funds, and also strains the State’s finances which leave insufficient resources for essential public interest projects.
Advocate Shreerang Bhandarkar represented the petitioner while AGP J Y Ghurde appeared for the respondent State.
