Patna HC seeks govt reply on human chain against prohibition

Patna High Court today directed Bihar government to reply by tomorrow on school children being roped in for the proposed human chain programme in support of prohibition and under what provision it has decided to stop traffic on national and state highways for it.
The direction was given by a division bench of acting Chief Justice Hemant Gupta and Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh.
The court was hearing a PIL filed by a non governmental body Forum for Public Interest Litigation.
Arguing for the PIL, advocate Shashi Bhusan Kumar sought to know under what provision school children are being involved in the January 21 human chain programme and also blocking of NHs and state highways on that day.

Principal Additional Advocate General Lalit Kishore appeared for the state.
The Nitish Kumar government has planned a gigantic human chain across the state on January 21 to reaffirm its commitment to the liquor ban.

The proposed human chain would spread across more than 11,292 km involving around two crore people, which would be largest in the world so far.
The chain would be formed for 45 minutes from 12:15 PM to 1 PM on January 21 and Kumar himself would take part in it at the Gandhi Maidan here.
The entire event, for which Rs 10 crore was sanctioned, would be captured by five satellites and videography would be carried out in all the districts with the help of drones and videographers on helicopters, officials said.