CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court dismissed a PIL filed by eight villagers from Gopinathpur under Soro police limits in Balasore district, imposing a fine of Rs 20,000 on the petitioners for what it termed as a misuse of the PIL jurisdiction.
The petitioners Jyostna Rani Mallick and seven others, had approached the court alleging that a patch of Gochar land measuring Ac. 2.05 decimals traditionally used by the village for cattle grazing, communal gatherings and the annual Muni festival had been allotted by the collector to Madan Mohan Saraswati Girls’ High School.
They claimed that the villagers had been using the land for generations and were now left with no alternative space for grazing or conducting social and cultural functions.
The petitioners had also submitted a representation to the authorities on August 22, 2024, which they said remained pending.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice MS Raman, however, took a stern view of the PIL, observing that such petitions were increasingly being filed without proper grounds. “We have noticed in a recent time that the avenue of the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) is being misused by taking a plea that the representation has been made to the authorities, yet they are not taking any conscious decision thereupon,” the bench stated.
It also noted that the petition lacked essential pleadings to demonstrate public injury or violation of constitutional mandates. “There is no pleading which would suggest any ingredients required to be pleaded for the PIL,” the order said.
While dismissing the petition, the bench termed it a sheer wastage of time and directed the petitioners to deposit Rs 20,000 with the Odisha State Legal Services Authority within three weeks. The amount will be used for providing the facilities to the children of the juvenile homes.