HC raps Centre over failure to set up BIFR in Western region

The Bombay High Court has pulled up the Union Government for not making any efforts to set up a Board for Industrial and Financial Restructuring (BIFR) in the Western Region.
The Court was also upset over the failure of the Centre to inform the number of pending cases in keeping with its earlier order.
A division bench of Justices A P Bhangale and A M Khanwilkar on March 15 expressed its unhappiness over this issue while hearing a PIL filed by Association for Aiding Justice.
"We are appalled to note that although this petition is pending since 2009 praying for direction against the Respondents (Centre) to set up BIFR in the Western Region of the country, no efforts have been taken by the appropriate authority. No reply has been filed to explain that position," observed the judges.

"Not only that, even the basic information, desired by this Court in terms of order dated November 14, 2011, of number of pending cases, has not been furnished to the Court, which is completely unacceptable," the bench noted.
"By way of indulgence, we defer the hearing of this petition till March 21, 2013 with a hope that at least the later information will be furnished to the Court before the next date of hearing," the bench said.
As regards the issue of setting up of BIFR, the Judges said they may consider passing appropriate order/directions, as may be warranted, after considering the figures of pending cases that will be furnished to the Court.

The matter would be heard tomorrow.