Mentally ill not vote banks: Telangana HC slams govt

HYDERABAD: Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice N. Tukaramji of the High Court expressed concern over the government not setting up rehabilitation centres for mentally ill persons, though it had issued notices 10 months ago, on August 8.

The bench was adjudicating the PIL filed by the Integrated New Life Society for Education and Development.

Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan said, “Persons suffering from mental illness are not vote bank… if they were, then the state would have taken steps to implement the Mental Health Care Act.” Counsel for the petitioner said TS had only three centres for thousands of mentally ill persons.

 

Govt pleaders not present in Rights panel PIL

HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Tuesday expressed displeasure over the government keeping high posts vacant for long. On a PIL seeking directions to appoint the chairman of the TS Human Rights Commission, Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice N. Tukaramji asked why the government had not responded to its April 14 notice.

No government pleader was available in court. Chief Justice Bhuyan told Harender Prasad, a special government pleader who was present for some other case: "Human Rights Commission is dysfunctional... it is a very important institution… how can it be that there is nobody appointed... it is completely deserted…"

Prasad sought time and said he would inform the court of the government's work in that direction.

 

Medchal DC gets summons in contempt case

HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court summoned  Medchal collector, Amoy Kumar, in charge of  Hyderabad district, in a contempt case on August 3 over failure to pay compensation to oustees.

When Kumar was Hyderabad collector last year, the HC had directed him to pay compensation to Dasharath Mohanlal and others whose land was acquired in 2001.