Panel to monitor Agri gold auction

The bench asked counsels representing Telangana state to furnish the names of five experts in economic and financial affairs and it would select one among them for the proposed committee. The bench would choose a member from the seven-member committee constituted by AP to look after Agri Gold affairs. When the case came up for hearing this morning, the bench expressed displeasure at the pace of the probe by the Crime Investigation Department of AP and asked CID additional director-general Ch Dwaraka Tirumala Rao to be present before the court by 2.15 pm.

Company chairman A. Venkata Seshu Narayana Rao and other directors were present in court. When the hearing resumed at 2.15 pm, Mr Krishna Prakash, special counsel for AP, submitted that the Capital Region Development Authority had informed him that it has no objection to auctioning of the lands which are in the limits of CRDA, but subject to the regulations which are in force in the limits of the CRDA.

The bench asked Mr D. Prakash Reddy, senior counsel appearing for Agri Gold, that the chairman and directors of the company should file an undertaking before the court by Tuesday assuring the court that all the properties which are identified for the auctions were free from encumbrance and that they would not sell any property of the company including its subsidiaries without the permission of the court.

The bench also told counsel to file an affidavit informing the time need development of the lands identified at Vijayawada for the auction and also approval of the layouts by the concerned authority. While refusing the request of Mr Shravan Kumar to accommodate a company representative on the committee, the bench adjourned the hearing to Tuesday.

The Hyderabad High Court on Monday asked an advocate to make a surprise visit to seven schools in Mahbubnagar district to ascertain from the students whether the teachers were available in their schools after the intervention of the High Court to resolve their problems and submit a report after eight weeks. A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Dilip B. Bhosale and Justice S.V. Bhatt was dealing with case based on letters of students from the schools in Boyyalagudem, upper Kesavaram, Chintala Kunta, Mittadoddi, Yellamdoddi, Chagadona and Argigadda villages, seeking intervention of the court as their schools did not have the required number of teachers.

When Mr J. Ramachandra Rao, additional advocate-general submitted that the government had appointed teachers in all seven schools in accordance with the students-to-teacher ratio, the bench asked whether any advocate belonging to Mahbubnagar district was present in the court. M. Vijay Kumar Goud, advocate, stood up and said he was a native of Mahbubnagar district.

The bench asked him to assist the court by making a surprise visit to the schools concerned to ascertain whether teachers were available and find out whether the teachers were appointed on a permanent basis or were Vidya volunteers and submit a report.

A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Dilip B. Bhosale and Justice S.V. Bhatt directed the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation to complete railing works on the road margins in Siddiambar Bazaar and Mahbubgunj of the city by the end of March 2016. The bench was dealing with a case based on a letter by Mahbubgunj resident Laxminivas Agarwal, challenging the inaction of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation in removing illegal encroachments and unauthorised constructions on road margins. Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation counsel told the bench that there was a proposal to install railings on the road margins in the areas.