Lucknow, July 7 -- The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court has observed that it is a matter of policy and within the exclusive domain of the executive or the legislature to make changes in order to extend welfare schemes meant only for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and minorities to below the poverty line (BPL) persons of all other communities/castes.

The high court made this observation while disposing of a public interest litigation that sought directives that henceforth benefits of all beneficiary- oriented state assistance be given uniformly to poor citizens of all communities/castes, also on the basis of economic and/or other verifiable objective criteria.

This order was passed by a division bench...