HC asks state, Centre to look into power unit’s complaints
Hyderabad High Court
Hyderabad: Justice Ramesh Ranganathan of the Hyderabad High Court on Wednesday expressed his disinclination to interfere with the policy of the Union of India to allocate Gas from KG basin to various sectors like fertilisers and power plants in this area.
The judge was disposing off a petition by Independent Gas Based Power Producers Association. It sought a directive to the Centre to frame a comprehensive policy with regard to energy security of India and supply of natural gas under New Exploration Licensing Policy, as per the directions of the Supreme Court in the case of Reliance Industries Ltd and also to direct the Centre to allot Gas to them on priority basis.
They alleged that there was no open consultation during framing policy on gas allocation. Justice Ramesh Ranganathan had delivered a 105 page judgment after perusing the voluminous records, which were made available only to the court by the Centre.
The judge pointed out that that complaint of violation of principles of natural justice cannot be made when the government makes economic policy. He said, “It is desirable, as a matter of good governance and administration that whenever policy decisions are taken, there should be a wide range of consultations, including considering any representations, which may have been made.”
The judge said that no positive directive for allocation of gas on priority basis was given. However, the state and the Central government were directed to look into the request made by petitioners, regarding the allocation of gas from KG basin or other places on priority basis.
The judge directed the state and the Central government and other statutory authorities to look into the representations made by the power producers, seeking gas allocation and supply on priority basis within four months.
Conditional bail to Gali’s PA
The special court for Central Bureau of Investigation cases on Wednesday granted conditional bail to K. Mehfuz Ali Khan, an accused in the Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) scam involving former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhan Reddy. He is the personal assistant of Janardhan Reddy and the seventh accused in the OMC case.
The special court directed him to submit two sureties of Rs 10 lakh each. It laid similar conditions for granting bail as B.V. Srinivas Reddy. The conditions include to surrender his passport and not to leave the country without informing the court.
Mr Khan is barred from entering the mining areas in Bellary, Karnataka and Anantapur and Kadapa districts in Andhra Pradesh and should not try to influence the witnesses or tamper with evidence, elaborated his counsel Sheik Kasim Saheb.
Earlier, he had filed a bail petition seeking bail, informing the court that the prime accused Gali Janardhan Reddy and his brother-in-law B.V. Srinivas Reddy were granted bail. He requested the court to grant him bail too.
The court heard the petitioner’s counsel and the CBI’s counter and allowed his petition. Mr Khan was charged with offences of criminal conspiracy and cheating by CBI in its charge sheet filed in the court on January 2, 2013.The central agency had accused Khan of not only facilitating the offence, but of also being a partner in the acts of the prime accused Mr Gali Janardhan Reddy in illegal mining.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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