Soon after the Akhilesh Government robbed Amethi of its VIP status by ending the uninterrupted power supply, the Allahabad High Court on Monday took away the district status of the lok Sabha constituency of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi.
The court’s verdict will come as a obstacle in the way to the Centre’s efforts to pump in money for centrally-funded schemes in Rahul’s area. Rahul will no longer be able to oversee several Amethi district committees which will now cease to exist.
The lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court quashed the Mayawati Government’s notification of July 1, 2010 for creating a new district namely Chatrapati Shahuji Maharajnagar, which was later remaned as ‘Amethi’ by the Samajwadi Party Government.
The directive was issued by the Bench of Chief Justice Shiva Kirti Singh and Justice DK Arora on petitions filed by Brij Kishore Verma and three others.
The Mayawati Government had carved out Amethi, Garuiganj and Jagdishpur Tehsils from Sultanpur district and Salon and Tiloi Tehsils from Rae Bareli district to form the new district.
The HC Bench decided on September 21, 2012 that the State Government could not issue the notification for creating a new district while Census was under progress by the Union of India.
Appearing on behalf of the petitioners, the counsel submitted before the court that issuing the notification dated July 1, 2010 for creating a new district, namely Chatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Nagar, was totally arbitrary action on part of the State.
The counsel further contended that the State must
know the minimum requirements of residents of the areas which form a new district.
The HC Bench directed to place the matter before the lucknow Bench. The court on Monday observed that as the parties accepted
the decision of the full Bench, hence the
notification was liable to be quashed and the writ petition was allowed accordingly.
It observed that the State Government may proceed afresh in this matter.