HC seeks response on plea regarding children's participation in human chain

The Patna High Court on Wednesday asked the Bihar government to respond to an NGO's plea regarding the participation of school children in the proposed formation of a human chain on January 21 to support prohibition in the state.

Acting on a petition filed by non-governmental organisation Forum for Public Interest Litigation, the high court also asked under which law the state government had decided to order a halt on traffic on national and state highways for the programme.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Hemant Gupta and Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh issued the direction after the petition regarding the Bihar government's plan to form "the world's longest human chain of over 11,000 km" on January 21 to support prohibition.

The Nitish Kumar government had asked all schools to facilitate their students to join the proposed human chain and ordered for closure of traffic between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on January 21.

Three satellites, including one foreign and two of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), four aircraft, two helicopters and 40 drones will be used to click photos of the human chain, officials said.

Nearly 20 million people will join hands across the state from 12.15 p.m. to 1 p.m.," the officials added.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar imposed liquor ban in the state from April 5, 2016. More than 16,000 persons have since been arrested on charges of consuming or transporting liquor in Bihar.

--IANS

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