» SC Won't Lift Stay On Jerusalem Subsidy For Christians
Jerusalem Subsidy: SC Won't Lift Stay
The govt. had announced a scheme to provide a subsidy to Christian pilgrims, but a petition was filed pointing out that Hindus were never given subsidies.
The Supreme Court on Monday refused lift the status quo ordered by the Andhra Pradesh High Court on the government's special scheme subsidizing pilgrimage of Christians to Jerusalem.
The Supreme Court, however, asked the High Court to hear and dispose of the petition challenging the validity of the scheme announced by the government of former chief minister late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. The Apex Court also asked the High Court not to be influenced by its own observations in the interim order while disposing of the petition.
Government counsel C K Sucharita had argued that the High Court's observation that the subsidy on pilgrimages was violative of Article 27 of the Constitution and that the state government had no jurisdiction to do so was 'unwarranted'.
The Bench of Justices P Sathasivam and B S Chauhan said that the Apex Court was not lifting the stay on the High Court order since it was of interim nature.
The state government had announced a scheme to provide a subsidy of Rs. 20,000 to each Christian pilgrim intending to visit Jerusalem. This would have cost the exchequer about Rs. 1 crore in 2008-2009.
One G Mohan Rao had filed a petition with the High Court had on 22 July 2009, after which the Court had stayed the subsidy. Mohan Rao had said that no subsidy was accorded to members of the Hindu community while benefits of pilgrimage travel were being availed by Muslims and Christians.