Patna High Court bars CM Jitan Ram Manjhi from taking policy related decisions

PATNA: In a major setback to CM Jitan Ram Manjhi, the Patna HC on Monday directed the state government not to take decision on policy matters. Manjhi has been announcing one policy decision after another ahead of the trust vote on February 20.

"The court has restrained the government from taking any policy decision, administrative or financial," observed the Patna HC division bench of justice Iqbal Ahmad Ansari and Somrendra Pratap Singh . The court was responding to the PIL filed by the JD(U) legislator Neeraj Kumar who had requested the court to put in abeyance all policy decisions taken by the Manjhi government after February 7, the day he was removed as the leader of the JD(U) legislature party. While the government during the last few days had shown undue hurry in seeking the formal approval of the cabinet on several key proposals which will have huge financial implications, it was also expected to more such decisions before seeking the trust vote on 20 February.

But the court now imposing the restriction, the chief minister certainly be handicapped by the court order and will put on hold the several policy decisions he was expected to take ahead of the trust vote .

Undeterred by the fact that is government was in minority after JD(U) withdrew support from him , the Manjh government convened the cabinet meeting on 10 February for taking a policy decision envisaging reservation to SC/ST in government contracts . It also announced that power will be available free to farmers possessing 5 acres of land.