A division Bench of the Rajasthan High Court has stayed the Vasundhara Raje-led BJP Government’s much-hyped Bhamashah Yojna, a financial empowerment scheme for the rural poor. HC ordered the stay on Friday following a PIL alleging that the scheme was nothing more than a bribe to garner votes from the rural poor in the upcoming Assembly elections. The court has now sought replies from the Finance Secretary and the Chief Election Officer. However, on Saturday, BJP state in-charge, Gopinath Munde, speaking at a BJP executive committee meeting, said they would move the Supreme Court. Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje had announced the Rs 1,000-crore Bhamashah Yojna in her Budget speech earlier this year. The scheme was launched in July as the Bhamashah Financial Empowerment Scheme. Under the scheme the state Government planned to deposit Rs 1,500 in the accounts of 50 lakh rural families through biometric smart cards along with health insurance. Mohan Lal Sharma, a Jaipur-based social worker, filed the PIL on Monday. Sharma’s advocate, Karan Pal Singh said a Division Bench of the HC, comprising justices R C Gandhi and R S Chauhan, admitted the PIL and stayed the government circular introducing the Yojna. “This is an unconstitutional scheme and is more like bribery,” claimed Singh. He added that his client had earlier approached the Chief Election Officer about the same issue, but moved the HC when no action was taken.Singh also said the state Government had not clarified the motive behind announcing and implementing such a scheme. “As many as 50 lakh BPL, SC/ST and small and marginal farming families will get Rs 1,500 if a female member opens a bank account of Rs 200 with the Punjab National Bank (PNB). How can the state Government just give families money without any work?” Singh asked.
