Punjab and Haryana High Court refuses to interfere in Chief Minister’s pilgrimage scheme

March 30, 2026

Commenting on the Chief Minister’s Pilgrimage Scheme, the Punjab and Haryana High Court observed that if the scheme was limited to only those persons who are unable to bear the expenses of the pilgrimage, then the scheme would have been much better. However, the court refused to interfere in the scheme.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice and Justice Ramesh Kumari made this observation while hearing a public interest litigation filed by RTI activist Parvinder Singh Kitna.

The scheme was challenged on several grounds in the petition

Senior advocate H.C. Arora and advocate Sunaina, appearing for the petitioner, argued that the scheme was made with the aim of influencing voters before the upcoming parliamentary elections on November 20, 2023. They told the court that the elections were later announced on March 16, 2024.

The counsel further argued that there is no fixed income-related criterion in this scheme, which allows even the financially capable and wealthy individuals to avail it. According to him, this is a misuse of public funds, as the benefits of this scheme are not limited to those who are truly in need.

During the hearing, the petitioner’s side also cited the example of the subsidy provided by the Central Government for Haj pilgrimage. He said that in that particular case, the Supreme Court of India had directed the Central Government to phase out the subsidy so that the funds could be used more effectively in areas like education and social development.

After hearing the petitioner’s arguments, the Division Bench accepted that restricting the scheme to the needy could have been an idea; however, it also observed that courts generally refrain from interfering in matters of policy.

The court allowed the petitioner to submit all his objections and suggestions to the state government. The court expressed hope that the government would consider these objections and take an appropriate decision.