Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Tuesday directed the TS and AP governments to constitute State Information Commissions and appoint the Chief Commissioner and Information Commissioners under the Right to Infor-mation Act within six weeks and report compliance on September 21. A division bench comprising acting Chief Jus-tice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice J. Uma Devi was dealing with a PIL by Forum for Good Gover-nance. TS advocate-general D. Prakash Reddy told the court that the TS government would comply with the order within six weeks.
AP government special counsel D. Ramesh said the AP government needed time as it has to provide infrastructure to the commissioners. The bench asked that when the TS government was prepared to complete the process, why did AP need more time. Mr Ramesh explained that providing infrastructure was a big task in view of the state. Expressing disinclination to grant more time to the AP, the bench said that three years had gone by since the formation of AP and the authorities were still citing lack of infrastructure, which was not acceptable.
Ms B. Rachana Reddy, counsel for the petitioner, told the court that about 20,000 cases were pending in both states and any further delay in appointing the panels would infringe on the rights of the people.
HC wants panel for debt relief:
The High Court asked the TS government to inform it within a week when it can constitute the commission for debt relief for small farmers, agricultural labourers and rural artisans. A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice J. Uma Devi was hearing by a PIL by senior BJP leader N. Indrasena Reddy. Mr Y. Balaji, counsel for the petitioner, submitted that the Debt Relief Act 2016 made it mandatory for the state government to constitute the commission to provide relief to small farmers, agricultural labourers and rural artisans but it was not doing so. The bench told TS special pleader S. Sharath Kumar to get instructions from the officials and inform the court when it could set up the commission.
HC serves notice on borewell deaths:
The Hyderabad High Court expressed displeasure over the lapses by revenue officials in providing information with regard to steps taken to prevent borewell deaths. It served a notice on the principal secretary, revenue, asking why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against him for failing to provide the information sought by the court. A division bench of acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice J. Uma Devi was dealing with a PIL by High Court advocate B. Prakash seeking to hold officers and people responsible for unfilled and defunct borewells and impose heavy penalty on them.
Senior counsel A. Satya Prasad, who appeared for the petitioner, said that in its last hearing the bench had directed the revenue officials to file a report about the measures taken for prevention of fatal accidents involving small children who fell into abandoned borewells. He told the court that the authorities had only submitted a two-page report containing the conversation between the Ranga Reddy collector and the commissioner for disaster management.
At this, the bench expressed its anger at the authorities for their callousness. Justice Ranganathan said: “Is your responsibility over by just slapping two papers on the face of the court? Do you have no responsibility to answer properly to the court? This kind of attitude cannot be tolerated.” After issuing the notice to the principal secretary, revenue, the bench adjourned the case to next week.
HC: Reveal names of Ayesha SIT probe
The Hyderabad High Court asked for the names of officers of the Special Investigation Team constituted to conduct a re-investigation of the Ayesha Meera murder case. A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice J. Uma Devi was dealing with a PIL by Prof. Rama Melkote, a retired teacher of Osmania University, and two others seeking a re-investigation into the case. It was also hearing another PIL by Ayesha Meera’s parents Syed Iqbal Basha and Shamshad Begum seeking the SIT to probe the case. AP government counsel told the court that the government had constituted the SIT to reopen the case. The bench told counsel that the GO issued constituting the SIT was bereft of details and asked for names of officers before it by Thursday. AP counsel also submitted a sealed cover with regard to action recommended by the apex committee against the officers responsible for failure in the probing the murder case.
Pharma college management quota:
The Hyderabad High Court expressed its disinclination to stay GO Ms No 13, which allows the managements of private engineering and pharmacy colleges to call management quota seat aspirants to verify their paying capacity, without hearing the version of the Telangana state government. A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice J. Uma Devi was dealing with the PIL filed by Mr M. Lakshma Reddy, president of Association for Strengthening of Private Initiative in Rural Education. He told the court that the GO issued on August 14, 2014, was contrary to a Supreme Court judgement. Petitioner’s counsel B. Rachana Reddy told the court that the result of the GO was that poor but bright students, particularly from remote rural areas, would be unable to apply for B Category seats, making it unequal battle with students from rich urban families.
