New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Thursday dismissed a plea seeking review of its verdict rejecting a PIL challenging the AAP government's decision to grant electricity and water subsidies to people of the national capital.
A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan orally said there was "no substance" in the review petition and there is no prima facie error in the high court's July 28 judgement dismissing the PIL and imposing costs of Rs 25,000 on the petitioner.
With the observation, the court dismissed the review petition and also declined to remove the costs imposed on the petitioner -- Shailendra Kumar Singh, a resident of Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh.
The court heard Singh's review plea for more than an hour before dismissing it, saying it cannot be taken as an opportunity for re-hearing.
The bench said the reasons for rejecting the review plea would be given in the order.
The court on July 28 had dismissed Singh's PIL saying that the grant of subsidies was "absolutely and purely" a policy decision in which it was not going to interfere.
The court had said that water and electricity concessions were being given by the Delhi government as per its policy decision which was based upon complex facts and situations prevailing in the society.
Singh, in his PIL, had claimed that Delhi government's policy of free subsidies to the public was "an infringement of the fundamental right of equality of citizens of India as well as violation of constitutional view of welfare state".
Singh had also claimed that according to the response received under the Right to Information Act, subsidies to the tune of Rs 2,500 crore have been granted to the people without any disability, liability, restriction or conditions.
PTI
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