HC pulls up Maha govt for not following its order

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has pulled up Maharashtra government for not taking decision on converting 'Jath' gram panchayat in Sangli district into a Municipal Council despite its earlier direction to the Council of Ministers to look into the issue.Hearing a petition, a bench comprising Justices Ajay Khanvilkar and S S Shinde asked the state government yesterday to explain in clear terms what was the policy of the Cabinet when the court gave a direction to consider a particularissue.[caption id="attachment_297407" align="alignleft" width="380" caption="Reuters"][/caption]"Should the Cabinet ignore the Court order or go into the issue?... When we give a direction, does the cabinet take it seriously and take up on a priority basis or does it just sideline the issue? asked the judges who were visibly upsetover the government's apathy towards the issue.The court has asked the Secretary of the concerned department to file an affidavit by 9th May on why the state had not considered this issue so far despite the order of the judges and also state what is the policy of the cabinet on court's directions.The judges also said if they were not satisfied with the affidavit by the concerned Secretary then they would ask the Chief Secretary to file an affidavit.The bench also asked Advocate General Uday Warunjikar to assist the court in the matter. The Court was hearing a petition filed by Sripad Ashtekar, a resident of Sangli, urging for a direction to convert 'Jath' Gram Panchayat into Municipal Council as it fulfilled the norms.PTI