Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 21: Division Bench of High Court comprising Chief Justice M M Kumar and Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar has closed proceedings in a Public Interest Litigation after noticing political overtones in it.
The PIL was filed by the residents of Begumbagh Kakapora for the issuance of directions to the Technical Education Department and others for completing the construction work on Polytechnic College, Begambagh in Pulwama district as per the approved plan.
Through the PIL, the residents also sought direction to the respondents for disclosing the names of the politicians and authorities, who interfered and influenced the diversion of funds and stoppage of work on Polytechnic College.
After hearing counsels for the PIL and respondents, the Division Bench observed, “these are administrative decisions which do not call for interference much less in public interest litigation”, adding “there are political overtones which have been highlighted in the instant petition. We are not inclined to proceed any further in this matter”.
“The basic dispute appears to be that initially the Polytechnic College was sought to be established in village Begambagh district Pulwama. However, vide communication dated 28.02.2014, it was directed that Government has decided to shift the site of the Polytechnic College to IUST Awantipora at the periphery of the district which is 20 kilometers away from the site earlier identified and approved”, the DB observed.
“There are allegations that the site has been changed on account of rival political groups. We are unable to persuade ourselves to treat the instant petition as public interest litigation. It is nobody’s case that Polytechnic College is not being constructed. It is insignificant whether it is being constructed at site A or site B, unless it is shown that it would be totally impracticable for the students to reach the college”.
With these observations, DB closed the proceedings and disposed of the petition.
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