Rajasthan introducing law to save 'hopeless' officials, says high court

JODHPUR: The Rajasthan High Court's principal bench here on Monday not only termed the state government and its officials as `hopeless' but also commented that a law was being made by the government to protect these hopeless officials. The high court's remark came on a day when the state government tabled the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, 2017, that gives special protection to public servants by making it mandatory for judicial magistrates to seek government sanction before ordering probes against them.

A division bench of Justice Govind Mathur and Justice Vineet Kumar Mathur made these comments while hearing a PIL about the drainage system of the city moved by a former legislator Madho Singh.

Additional Advocate General Panwar, who was representing government in the case, confirmed to TOI that Justice Mathur made the remark in court on Monday . "Instead of wor king for the people's welfare, it (govrenment) is bringing law to protect its officials not willing to work," Panwar said, quoting Justice Mathur as saying.

The bench expressed its displeasure that despite its directions, the state government has not provided any budget for the restoration of some major nullahs of the city in order to address the drainage of the rain water in the city . During the hearing, when the AAG Rajesh Panwar and P R Singh sought some more time for providing the bud get for the work, the court was displeased and asked that how much time, the government require to release the budget for such an important work.

It was then that the court expressed its resentment saying that the government was not doing anything and working on assurances on every hearing by seeking time. The court said that despite the directions, no budget till date has been provided by the government for the repairing of the nullahs of the city , which is contempt of the court.

In slamming the government for its failure to deliver, the court further stated that both the government and its officials are hopeless and now going further, this government is coming out with a law to protect this `gang of hopeless people' in government. With this, the court has summoned the Joint Secretary (Urban Housing Development) on next hearing on October 26 to give reply as to why the budget has not been sanctioned despite repeated orders of the court.