Lucknow: HC imposes Rs 25 thousand fine on state govt

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 14 : The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Saturday imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on the state government for not filing a reply in a public interest litigation (PIL) pending for seven years.
The petition has been pending since 2015, but the state government did not file any counter affidavit in the case yet, after which the court imposed the fine.
The court has also given an exemption to the government to recover the amount of compensation from the officer responsible for the non-filing of a reply. Along with this, it has also been clarified that the amount of payment should be deposited in the arbitration centre of the High Court.
The order was passed by a division bench of Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal and on a PIL filed by Guru Prasad.
The court has listed the matter for the next hearing on February 21 and has sought a reply from the government failing to which the Principal Secretary will have to be present in the Revenue Court.
Earlier the Lucknow bench of the High Court took a significant decision in the interest of sugarcane farmers and imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on the UP government.
The matter was about the payment of sugarcane farmers. A petition has been filed in the High Court on behalf of the Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan. While hearing this petition the order was passed.