Hyderabad: A division Bench comprising acting Chief Justice Dilip B. Bhosale and Justice S.V. Bhatt of the Hyderabad High Court on Thursday ordered status quo on the allotment of land to the AP State Financial Corporation at Gajulara-maram village in Ranga Reddy district.
The bench was dealing with a petition by the corporation challenging a GO issued on October 29 cancelling the allotment of 27I.39 acre at Rs 40 lakh per acre by the erstwhile AP government in 2007. AP Advocate-General P. Venugopal contended that the Telangana state government did not have the power to cancel the allotment and the GO issued for the purpose was not only against the provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act but also in violation to Articles 14, 21 and 300-A of the Constitution.
He said that as per the provisions of the Reorganisation Act, to divide assets and liabilities of corporations and other institutions, a scheme has to be prepared and after the Centre approves the scheme, the assets and liabilities are to be apportioned between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Telangana state advocate general K. Ramakrishna Reddy argued that the state government had cancelled the allotment as the corporation had failed to protect the land.
He said that the land was allotted in 2007 and it was being subjected to continuous encroachments on its peripheries as it had been left vacant by the corporation without any kind of watch and ward.
He contended that the Telangana state government had the right to cancel the allotment as it was located within its jurisdiction and urged the court to grant time to file a counter affidavit explaining the reasons and rights of the government in cancelling the allotment.
While adjourning the hearing, the Bench ordered the Telangana government to maintain status quo.
TS royalty plea on BT cotton dismissed by HC
Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao dismissed an interlocutory application by the Telangana State government seeking to vacate the interim stay granted on a GO issued by it fixing Rs 50 as royalty per packet of BT cotton seeds.
The judge had earlier granted stay on the GO on May 11 while dealing with a petition by Mahyco Monsanto Biotech (India) Pvt Ltd challenging the GO.
The state government argued that it was its responsibility to protect the interests of farmers by controlling the monopoly of the company in fixing selling price of BT cotton seeds and that the AP Cotton Seeds (Regulation of Supply, Distribution, Sale and Fixation of Sale Price) Act, 2007 was meant to regulate the sale price of seeds.
Mahyco Monsanto Biotech (India) Pvt Ltd contended that the government had no power to fix the royalty and the agriculture department had acted beyond its jurisdiction and issued the GO by fixing the royalty.
He contended that Section 4 of the Act was applicable to dealers and not to the licensed holder and technology supplier, and fixation of the royalty was purely under the purview of the seed production company.
While dismissing the interlocutory application and making the stay absolute, the judge pointed out that while the government was empowered to fix the sale price, it had no power to fix royalty.
Step taken to cut size of Ganesh idols sought
The High Court on Thursday asked the Telangana state government and the GHMC to explain the steps they were taking to reduce the height of Ganesh idols. A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Dilip B. Bhosale and Justice S.V. Bhatt was dealing with a petition by city advocated M. Venu Madhav seeking implementation of court orders to regulate the immersion of Ganesh idols in the city lakes.
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