Hyderabad: Expressing displeasure at the steps taken by the governments of both AP and TS in curbing the illegal usage of calcium carbide to ripen fruits and to bring awareness among citizens about health hazards due to consumption of such fruits, the Hyderabad High Court on Friday ordered the principal secretaries of agriculture and marketing of the two states to be present before the court on February 1.
A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Dilip B. Bhosale and Justice S.V. Bhatt was dealing with a suo motu taken-up case based on news reports on rampant use of calcium carbide in ripening fruits. While reminding its earlier direction to both the governments to establish the ‘ethylene chambers” for ripening of fruits and for close monitoring by the authorities to overcome the problem of availability of carbide-ripened fruits in the markets, the bench pointed out that “it appears that the governments are not making sincere efforts to overcome the problem”.
The bench observed that “except submitting papers before the court, there is no progress at the ground level. Senior officials should know the gravity of this case as the matter concerns the health of the people.” Amicus curiae in the case, told the court that both the states do not have sufficient food safety officers when compared to Karnataka and Maharashtra.
While counsel for TS sought time for furnishing details, counsel for AP informed the court that the government had released about '8.3 crore for establishment of ethylene chambers for ripening of fruits.
ACJ to hear plea on GO over Indira Park:
Justice C.V. Nagarjuna Reddy of the Hyderabad High Court on Friday directed the registry to place the plea of Indira Park Walkers Association before the Acting Chief Justice, challenging a GO issued by the TS government designating NTR Stadium as “public and semi public use zone” for construction of Telangana Kala Bharati on its premises.
The association, represented by its president A. Sudhakar Rao Yadav urged the court to declare the GO Ms No. 28 dated January 12, 2016 as illegal and violative of Section 15(3) of HMDA Act, 2008. Senior counsel Sarasani Satyam Reddy, appearing for the petitioner, brought to the notice of the court that the 14-acre NTR Stadium is at present earmarked as open space use zone under the master plan. Mr Reddy said that as per the rules, if the government requires to make any change in the existing master plan it has to invite suggestions from the public first.
