- (1.) In all the three writ petitions, the petitioners challenge a memorandum bearing No. 03 APS dated 15th January, 2013 issued by the Principal Secretary to the Government of West Bengal, Finance Department, whereby a scheme for assistance to political sufferers was directed to be discontinued with effect from 1st February, 2013. Accordingly the three writ petitions were taken up for hearing together and are being disposed of by this common judgment and order.
(2.) The petitioner no. 1 in WP No. 17078 (W) of 2013 is the Secretary of the Barasat Unit West Bengal Political Sufferer's Pensioners Welfare Association and the petitioner no. 2 is the Secretary of Jalpaiguri Post Independence Pensioner's Welfare Association. Both are registered associations. The petitioner no. 3 is the President of the Political Sufferer's Pensioners Welfare Society.
(3.) It is the case of the petitioners that the erstwhile State Government having considered the fact that political sufferers who at the cost of their personal careers devoted their lives for the people's cause needs to be looked after by the State as one of its welfare responsibility, introduced a scheme namely Political Sufferers Scheme for Post Democratic Political Sufferers in the year 1988 providing for allowances to political sufferers who participated in the democratic movements of post-independence period. Families of the persons who had lost their lives and persons who had served a minimum jail term of six months and whose annual income was less than Rs. 6,400/- were considered as eligible under the scheme. Amongst them were persons whose family members suffered in the Tebhaga movement, the food movement in 1959, the democratic movements in 1966, the land struggles of the 70's and the struggle against emergency. Many of them are not associated with political parties. All of them are very poor, old and some were very ill. Some of them are literally bedridden. Many of them are Dalits and Adivasis.;