Hyderabad: Reminding that it is the basic responsibility of the TS Road Transport Corporation to provide drinking water for passengers at bus stations, the Hyderabad High Court on Tuesday directed the Corporation to file a report with regard to drinking water facilities available at the Karimnagar bus station within a week.
A division bench comprising Acting Chief Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice Shameem Akhter was dealing with a PIL by Telangana Citizens Welfare Association seeking to declare as arbitrary and illegal a letter issued by the TSRTC authorities on December 19, 2016 forcing stall owners to sell only water bottles of M/s Bisleri International Pvt. Ltd. with TSRTC logo.
Stating that not everyone can afford to purchase the water bottles, the court said that it was the responsibility of the RTC to provide water to its passengers.
The bench made it clear that it will not intervene with regard to the issue of selling of particular brand of water in the stalls of RTC as the PIL appeared to be moved on behalf of the stall owners. Counsel for the petitioner said that there was not even public drinking water taps available for passengers at bus stations.
The bench said that it will look into the issue of absence of drinking water facility and directed the RTC authorities to file the report.
Tribals won’t be displaced, says Telangana
The TS government on Tuesday informed the Hyderabad High Court that there was no immediate threat of tribals living in the villages of Mancherial district being displaced due to acquisition of land for the proposed Kalyani Khani opencast mining project.
A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice Shameem Akhter was dealing with a PIL by Telangana Vidhyavanthula Vedika challenging the issuance of land acquisition notices without gram sabhas being conducted.
B. Rachana Reddy, counsel for the petitioner, submitted that in case of acquisition or alienation of any land in the Scheduled Areas, prior consent shall be obtained under Schedule-V of the Constitution.
B. Mahender Reddy, counsel for the TS government, submitted that the authorities will acquire lands only after taking consent from villagers in grama sabha.
