SC sought issuance of guidelines to curb extra spending of public money
Supreme Court. (Photo: File/PTI)
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday set up a committee for framing guidelines to prevent misuse of public funds by the government and its authorities in giving advertisements in newspapers and television to get political mileage.
A bench headed by Chief Justice P. Sathasivam said that substantive guidelines are needed to regulate such advertisements at the cost of public exchequer and constituted a four-member committee comprising former director of National Judicial Academy, Bhopal, N.R. Madhava Menon, former Lok Sabha secretary T.K. Viswanathan, senior advocate Ranjit Kumar and secretary of information and broadcasting ministry.
The apex court asked the committee to submit its report within three months. The court passed the order on a PIL filed by NGOs, Common Cause and Centre for Public Interest Litigation pleading it to frame guidelines.
The petition has sought issuance of guidelines for curbing ruling parties from taking political mileage by projecting their leaders in official advertisements. The counsel, appearing for Common Cause, had earlier said glorification of politicians linked to the ruling establishment, in order to attain political mileage at the cost of public exchequer, was violative of Article 14 of the Constitution.
( Source : PTI )
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