PIL challenges FDI in retail and aviation

NEW DELHI: A public interest litigation ( PIL) was filed in the Supreme Court on Saturday challenging the government decision to allow FDI in multi-brand retail and aviation which it said was violative of the country’s foreign exchange and insurance laws.

The petition, filed by advocate Manohar Lal Sharma, is the second such PIL filed by Sharma against the government. He had earlier filed a petition drawing the top court’s attention to the coalgate scam.

A two-judge bench has already issued a notice to the government on this. Saturday’s PIL has made the cabinet secretary, the finance secretary and the RBI governor parties to the challenge to FDI in retail and aviation as embodied in notifications 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 of 2012.

The petition also claimed that FDI in these sectors would adversely affect 3.5 crore Indians by taking away the livelihood of those engaged in small-scale retail business.