Centre files caveat, SC to hear PILs on November 15

The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear on November 15 two public interest writ petitions alleging that all sections of people across the country are facing hardship due to the demonitisation of '500 and '1,000 notes and seeking to suspend the RBI’s notification in this regard.

Meanwhile, the Centre filed a caveat in the apex court to ensure that no orders are passed in the PILs without hearing the Union government.

Petitioners Vivek Narain Sharma and Sangam Lal Pandey said they are not against the said scheme of phasing out of specified bank notes, but against the manner of its implementation as provided in the said Notification, which has created panic and emergency like situation all around India, be it metropolitan city, towns and villages etc.

Mr Sharma said the whole chain of transaction will be affected, making people worry more about procuring money, leaving them standing in queues at banks to obtain legitimate currency notes and affect their work and trade. The government has failed to follow constitutional rule of law, adherence to principles of natural justice and provide sufficient time to citizens to prepare for such phasing out of specified bank notes.

As a result the livelihood, business, trade and education etc. of billions of citizens shall get affected, in innumerable, uncalculated and uncountable ways. The implementation of phasing out of specified bank notes, overnight, fails the test of reasonableness and care for its citizens by the government.

They submitted what all it may adversely impact cannot be judged or calculated at this stage, but rights of citizens of India cannot be taken away by such dictatorial ways of implementing a Scheme, which is going to create greatest chaos in the history of India. There should have been a well-planned method and sufficient time frame for completing the transition so as not to create unprecedented chaos, trouble and panic in the lives of citizens.

They said the government’s decision has affected emergency services in the country; lot of marriage ceremonies to take place in a couple of days and those involved in marriages had withdrawn huge money but they could not spend them; farmers will be affected as this is harvesting season.

They said in the next few weeks or may be months, almost all citizens of India are going to face grave harassment in almost every small day to day affair and elementary services like hospitals payments, schools fees payments, toll fees payments, out-station hotel payments, labor payments, local transport payments, buying of essential items like grocery, clothes, pollutions masks, air cleaner, winter clothes, kids care items, old-age care items etc. They prayed for suspending the notification and a proper manner of implementation of the scheme.