Delhi HC Dismisses Plea Seeking Inclusion Of Advocates As Eligible Professionals To Access Benefits Under MSME Act

While dismissing the PIL, the Division Bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan highlighted that the original purpose of a Public Interest Litigation is to voice the concerns of the downtrodden.

Filed by Abhijit Mishra, the present petition challenged the criteria to access the development and promotional schemes under the aegis of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006.

The Petitioner submitted that the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India has developed a highly arbitrary eligibility criteria which are biased and restrictive towards the profession of Advocates.

The Petitioners case was that the prejudiced eligibility criteria of having GSTN, Business PAN, TAN as mandatory requirements in order to be eligible to access the development schemes of the Government of India is against the welfare of the Advocates.

The petition stated:

'Government of India has not introduced any development schemes for the welfare of the Advocates such as training platform or access to the collateral free loans for purchase of the equipment such as laptops, printer and scanner etc. for accessing the E-Courts.'