PIL challenging UP government's free tablet, laptop scheme dismissed

ALLAHABAD: The Allahabad High Court today dismissed a petition challenging Uttar Pradesh government's populist scheme of giving tablets and laptops free of cost to students who have cleared their High School and Intermediate examinations.

The Public Interest Litigation filed by advocate Pankaj Kumar Gupta was rejected by a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Shiva Kirti Singh and Justice Dilip Gupta which said, "This court is not competent to interfere in such policy matters."

"Petitioners want this court to examine the correctness, propriety and validity of Governmental policy to distribute laptops and tablets free of cost to school students. According to the petitioners, such policy is not in public interest," the court observed, adding, "The PIL is misconceived and it is dismissed."

Significantly, during assembly elections last year, the promise of distributing free tablets to those passing High School examinations and free laptops to those clearing their Intermediate, made in the SP manifesto, was widely believed to have played a key role in helping the party assume power in the state with its best ever performance.