HC dismisses PIL challenging renaming of Allahabad as Prayagraj
Allahabad, Nov 13: The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday dismissed a PIL challenging the renaming of Allahabad as Prayagraj, saying the petitioner should first approach the Uttar Pradesh government with the grievance.
Acting Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice CD Singh granted liberty to the petitioner to file a representation before the state government on the issue.
The court order came on a day the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet at a meeting presided by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath approved renaming of Allahabad and Faizabad divisions as Prayagraj and Ayodhya respectively.
The high court refused to grant any relief to petitioner Sunita Sharma saying she directly moved the court by filing a Public Interest Litigation without first approaching the state government.
The petition had challenged renaming of Allahabad as Prayagraj and had sought quashing of a government order in this regard. It had urged the court to issue writ of mandamus directing the state government to do away with the changing of the city name.
The bench said, It is well settled that any person who seeks writ of mandamus must approach the authority concerned with his demand and in case of refusal only one can seek directions in the form of writ of mandamus from court.
In the petition, it was prayed that the court should declare as unconstitutional the state government's notification of October 18 by which Allahabad district was renamed as Prayagraj.
During the course of hearing, the petitioner's counsel also raised the issue that the Ardh Kumbh was wrongly renamed as Kumbh 2019.
However, the court refused to entertain the issue saying the petitioner had neither made any prayer in this regard in her petition nor had she approached the state government raising this issue.
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Metro ridership in Haryana sees over 13 pc rise in 2025-26
Chandigarh (PTI): Haryana's urban transit system witnessed a strong growth in 2025-26, with metro ridership registering a robust 13.55 per cent increase, the state government said in a statement on Thursday.
The progress was reviewed in the 64th board meeting of Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation (HMRTC) chaired by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi.
Between April 2025 and February 2026, the metro network recorded over 1.74 crore passengers, compared to 1.53 crore in the corresponding period the previous year.
July recorded the highest monthly growth at 22.93 per cent, while all months showed consistent positive trends.
Financial performance has also remained strong, with fare revenue rising 12.64 per cent till January 2026, the statement said.
Non-fare revenue surged by 108 per cent, driven by effective monetisation of station spaces, advertisements and commercial activities, resulting in an operating surplus for Rapid Metro.
Further initiatives, including the auction of station naming rights and additional advertisement sites, are expected to strengthen HMRTC's financial position, the statement said.
Appreciating the performance, Rastogi stated that the consistent rise in ridership and revenue reflects the success of Haryana's integrated transport strategy, rising commuter confidence and a clear shift towards public transport.
HMRTC Managing Director Chander Shekhar Khare said that, alongside operational gains, the state is making steady progress on an ambitious pipeline of metro and regional transit projects.
Metro connectivity from Gurugram Sector 56 to Panchgaon is under active consideration, with Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited studying the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and layout plan, and finalising a depot location in Sector 36A near Sihi village, he said.
The Gurugram-Faridabad Namo Bharat corridor has achieved a key milestone, with alignment and station locations finalised and approved by the Haryana government. The National Capital Region Transport Corporation is preparing the DPR, he added.
Similarly, the Delhi-Kundli metro extension is proposed to be placed before the Haryana Cabinet for approval.
The 136.3-kilometre Delhi-Panipat-Karnal RRTS Corridor has also progressed, with the revised DPR submitted for financial concurrence ahead of Haryana Cabinet consideration.
Within Gurugram, DPR preparation has been approved for key intra-city corridors, including the 17.09-kilometre Bhondsi-Subhash Chowk-Rajeev Chowk-Sohna Chowk Railway Station corridor, enhancing connectivity along Sohna Road, Khare said.
