Telangana told to file plea on posting Vice-Chancellors

Hyderabad: A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Dilip B. Bhosale and Justice S.V. Bhatt of the Hyderabad High Court on Wednesday directed the Telangana government to file a counter affidavit informing the court about the steps being taken to appoint vice-chancellors to various universities and also the time required for completing the process.

The bench was dealing with a PIL by the Forum for Good Governance, a voluntary organisation of the city represented by its secretary M. Padmanabha Reddy, alleging that the Telangana government had failed to appoint vice-chancellors to as many as 10 universities in the state including Osmania, Kakatiya, Telangana, Mahatma Gandhi, JNTU and some other universities.

When the government counsel was submitting about the steps being taken in this regard, the bench asked him to place his submissions in written form through a counter affidavit. Posting the case for hearing to July 13, the bench made it clear that the government through its counter affidavit should inform the court about the time it requires to complete the process for appointing vice-chancellors.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Dilip B. Bhosale and Justice S.V. Bhatt of the HC on Wednesday asked Mr H. Venugopal, the counsel for the Home department of Telangana, under which law the government had written off the Rs 68 lakh dues of the Exhibition Society of Hyderabad due to the State Disaster and Fire Services Department.

The bench was dealing with a plea by Khaja Aijazuddin, an advocate of the city, challenging the inaction of the authorities in recovering arrears from the Exhibition Society.

When Mr Venugopal told the court that the Society has applied to the government for exemption for paying the arrears, Justice Dilip Bhosale wanted to know whether it is permissible and under which law the government has power to waive the arrears.

The acting CJ said the money belongs to the public and how can the government grant exemptions. While permitting the counsel to get instructions regarding this the bench adjourned the hearing to Monday.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Dilip B. Bhosale and Justice S.V. Bhatt of the HC on Wednesday refused to entertain a petition moved by the YSRCP candidate for the Prakasam district local bodies MLC seat seeking a stay on the election notification.

The petitioner alleged that the ruling TD was indulging in kidnapping MPTC and other elected local bodies representatives' and in several other malpractices. He said despite several representations neither the Election Commission of India nor the police have taken any action to prevent the ruling party from engaging in malpractices

The bench pointed out that if anyone was kidnapped it is for their families to approach the court seeking remedy and not the contesting candidate. The court said the candidate has no locus standi on the issue.

The counsel for the AP Home department submitted that the MPTC members who were alleged to have been kidnapped have given a statement to the police that no one kidnapped them.

The bench said that polling was scheduled to be held on July 3 and that at this juncture the court cannot intervene to stop the election process.

Justice Raja Elango of the Hyderabad High Court on Wednesday dismissed the bail plea of P. Obulesu, a former police constable and prime accused in the attempt to kidnap K. Nityananda Reddy, the vice chairman of Aurobindo Pharma.

It may be recalled that in November 2014, Obulesu opened fire at Nityananda Reddy while he was returning from a morning walk at KBR Park in the city.

Opposing the bail plea, additional public prosecutor D. Rami Reddy said that the accused has involved in several offences and had attempted to kill the victim by opening fire with an AK-47 rifle in the area where several VIPs were present.

In an unusual move the Telangana government on Wednesday expressed its willingness before the Hyderabad High Court to accept the consumer commission appointed by the state of AP as the common commission for both AP and Telangana.

The special counsel for Telangana A. Sanjiv Kumar made this submission before a division bench comprising Acting Chief justice Dilip B. Bhosale and Justice S.V. Bhatt when it was hearing a petition by N. Srinivas and some others who were questioning the inaction of TS in appointing the president and members of the Telangana State Consumer Commission.

The counsel said the Centre had recently notified the AP state consumer disputes redressal commission in the Tenth Schedule which will make it a common commission for the twin states and the Telangana government has decided to avail the services of the AP commission and hence there is no need for it to appoint a separate commission for Telangana. While posting the case to July 13, the bench asked counsel to file an affidavit.

Expressing displeasure at the attitude of the authorities in allowing constructions in Lingala Cheruvu of Nellore city, a division bench comprising Acting Chief justice Dilip B. Bhosale and Justice S.V. Bhatt of the High Court on Wednesday directed the district administration to take steps to stop all construction activity in the lake.

The bench was dealing with a plea by B. Harikrishna, a resident of Nellore, challenging the construction of Shilparamam in the lake.

The counsel representing the AP Pollution Control Board brought to the notice of the court that the Board has already informed the authorities that the constructions were against to pollution control rules.

The counsel representing the special officer of the Shilparamam said that the constructions were taken up on a dried up portion of the lake and so far Rs 1.86 crore were invested on it.

The bench said, "How can they carry out construction even though a part of the lake dried up. Suppose tomorrow if some part of Hussainsagar dries up will you carry out constructions?"

The bench directed the authorities to place the records regarding sanctioning of Shilparamam in the Lake by July 13.

Alleging that the cases pertaining to Telangana would not get ‘justice’ in the combined HC, Telangana advocates staged a dharna on Wednesday in front of the Hyderabad HC demanding the immediate establishment of a separate High Court for Andhra Pradesh.

The Telangana advocates, including Gandra Mohan Rao and others, alleged that the recent orders passed by the court in the recusal petition by TRS MLA Stephenson itself is an indication that cases pertaining to Telangana would not get ‘justice’ in the combined High Court.

They demanded that there was a need to post ‘Telangana cases’ only before judges belonging to Telangana. The advocates carrying placards gathered outside court premises and shouted slogans.

The police made heavy security arrangements both inside and outside court premises to prevent untoward incidents. Telangana advocates have decided to meet the Acting Chief Justice on Thursday and make a representation regarding their demands.