- (1.) WE have heard Ms. Kavita Srivastava and Mr. Ashok Kumar appearing in person.
(2.) THIS writ petition has been taken on board on an urgent motion made by Ms. Kavita Srivastava to hear the writ petition (PIL) urgently as the subject scheme namely, 'Bhamashah Yojna' is proposed by the State Government of Rajasthan to be launched tomorrow on August 15th, 2014. By this writ petition, purportedly filed in public interest, the People Union for Civil Liberties, Rajasthan Unit has prayed to direct the State Government to stop the print of the photo of the Chief Minister of the State of Rajasthan on the Smart Card under the 'Bhamashah Scheme', providing for use of the monetary benefit of, on the entitlement of the family, of the Public Welfare Schemes for employment and self dependency, by direct cash transfer to an account to be operated by a lady member of the family. The Scheme provides for opening an account in the name of senior most nominated lady member of the family, in which the entire benefits of the entitlement of the family of the public welfare schemes are proposed to be transferred, to be operated by such lady including cash equivalent of the entitlement under the National Food Security Act, where food entitlement cannot be provided through the P.D.S. Scheme, payments under MGNREGA, scholarships, pensions etc.
(3.) MS . Kavita Srivastava appearing for the petitioner submits that the People Union for Civil Liberties is not against the merits of the Scheme nor does it have any quarrel with its objects, which serves the salutary purpose of women empowerment, in as much as the scheme seeks financial independence of the ladies by ensuring the cash transfer of the entitlement of the family, in an account to be operated by the lady in the family. The objection is to the photo of present Chief Minister of the State on the Smart Cards to be issued to the ladies of about fifteen million families for operating the account.;