Transport policy PIL misleading,say Badals

Terming the petition filed challenging the alleged manipulations made in Punjab governments transport policy as mischievous,misleading and based on surmises,Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday filed their responses in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Terming the petition filed challenging the alleged manipulations made in Punjab governments transport policy as mischievous,misleading and based on surmises,Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday filed their responses in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Raising eyebrows over the bonafides of petitioner Barrister Himmat Singh Shergill,the CM and his deputy submitted that the petitioner has not conducted any investigation of his own and filed a petition purely on the basis of newspaper items. They added that the very timing of filing the petition throws up various questions as to the motive behind this action.

The reply stated: The policy was adopted in 2007,yet the petition has been filed in October 2011,a few months before the Assembly elections,casting serious doubts on the timing of the petition.

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The very pendency of the petition has serious political repercussions on the forthcoming elections.

The petition is actuated by oblique motives and is at the instance of vested interests, it added.

Justifying the transport policy,the chief minister said the decision of framing the policy was not taken alone by him but jointly by the council of ministers.

The replies have been filed in response to a petition,where Himmat Singh Shergill had alleged that manipulations were made in the state transport strategy to ensure that private bus operators in Punjab profit.

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