Direct cash transfer schemes, freebies on eve of polls comes under SC scanner

The Supreme Court Tuesday sought response from the Centre and the Election Commission on a petition seeking a ban on direct cash transfer schemes and announcement of freebies ahead of and during the election process.

The petition has referred to the Centre's PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme and other programmes announced by some state governments such as Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Telangana, Odisha and Jharkhand which, it claimed, helped the parties in power at the Centre and states get political advantage in the recently concluded general elections.

After a brief hearing, a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi also issued notices to five state government on the petition filed by Pentapati Pulla Rao, who contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Elluru constituency in Andhra Pradesh as a candidate of the Pawan Kalyan-led Janasena Party.

The bench, also comprising Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice Aniruddha Bose, decided to look into the plea seeking framing of comprehensive ...