The Patna High Court dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed seeking directions to the Government of Bihar to act upon the detailed project report prepared by Municipal Commissioner, Munger for development of Maa Chandika Sthan, Munger, Bihar.

Ancillary prayers were also made for commanding the respondent authorities to initiate programs for development of tourism in the area so as to provide employment and livelihood for the people in Munger.

The Division Bench of Chief Justice K. Vinod Chandran and Justice Rajiv Roy did not see any public interest involved in the prayers except for seeking employment to the locals of a particular district; which the State Government has a responsibility to seek to ensure all over the State.

“However, this does not come in a day, or on judicial orders issued by us. Various policies are implemented by the State and the Central Government for the purpose of providing employment to the rural people. There could be no claim made by any individual on any public interest to develop a particular area as a tourist place and thus facilitate employment for the locals, which is a purely policy matter”, the Court observed.

The Bench found no reason to invoke the extraordinary remedy under Article 226 of the Constitution of India to consider the prayers sought for in the petition.