Hyderabad: The Hyderabad HC has stayed the notices issued by the AP and TS governments to retail wine shop dealers directing them to install a computer, printer and scanner in shops for recognising the bar code and hologram on liquor bottles and to generate bills as per MRP.
Telangana Wine Dealers’ Association president D. Venkate-swara Rao, Alapati Hari Babu and six other wine dealers from AP moved two petitions challenging the notices issued by the governments for installing computers.
They told the court that the prohibition and excise departments of both the states had warned them that the supply of liquor will be stopped from Monday if they failed to install computers.
The petitioners said that without installing machinery at the distilleries to affix barcodes and holograms on bottles and without providing the software for the purpose insisting that retail dealers should install computers was illegal.
They urged the court to direct the governments not to insist on retailers installing computers till the affixation machinery is installed in distilleries. The court granted interim suspension of the notices.
Judge warns civic official
Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao of the HC on Saturday expressed displeasure at the municipal commissioner of Kavali town in AP not appearing before the court despite an order for his appearance. The judge warned the court will issue an arrest warrant if he failed to appear before court on the next date of hearing.
The judge was hearing a petition by Ramireddy Pratap Kumar Reddy, seeking to declare the convening of the general body meeting of the municipal council on August 31, 2014 by the commissoner as illegal as the day was a public holiday and as the Budget Session-2014 of the Assembly was in session.
Counsel Sudhakar Reddy Ponnavolu who appeared for the petitioner said the judge had stayed works worth Rs 4 crore approved by the council which met on a holiday and directed the official to explain the reasons behind convening the meeting illegally.
TS faulted on pollution body
A division bench comprising CJ Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta and Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar of the HC faulted the Telangana government for the delay in constituting the pollution control appellate authority.
The bench advised Telangana not to put forth its argument that it was a newly formed state for seeking time. The bench was dealing with a petition by the Madina Ice Factory of Hyderabad questioning an order of the PCB.
Reminding the granting of time to AP and Telangana to constitute the pollution control appellate authority on an earlier occasion the bench sought to know the progress regarding this from both the states.
The AP advocate general submitted that they began the process of appointing an appellate authority and furnished relevant papers to the bench.
The AG of Telangana submitted that the government is considering the issue and urged the bench to grant some time for completing the task.
Reacting, Justice Sen-gupta said, “It is an obligation of the government and it has to do it. There is no question of consideration.
Telangana is a full fledged state now. It is its duty to discharge certain obligations.” The bench said, "If the government admits that it cannot fulfill its obligation they will record the same and proceed as per law."
When the AG assured that they would fulfill their obligations by the next date of hearing, the bench adjourned the case to January 29.
