HC notice on plea challenging Badal's pilgrimage scheme

Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday issued a notice to the Punjab government on a plea challenging the 'CM Tirath Darshan Yatra Scheme' launched by the Punjab chief minister.
A division bench comprising Justice SS Saron and Justice Gurmit Ram has issued the notice after taking cognizance of a public interest litigation filed by Kuldeep Singh Khaira, a social activist from Ludhiana.
The state transport commissioner, and director-tourism and cultural affairs, Punjab, has also been asked to file a reply on the issue by May 20.
The petitioner argued that the Supreme Court had, in its order dated 8 May 2012, while examining the Haj subsidy scheme, observed that it was best done away with.
The Supreme Court had further observed that "the amount of Haj subsidy should be progressively reduced, so as to completely eliminate it within a period of 10 years from today. The subsidy money may be more profitably used for upliftment of the community in education and other indices of social development."