Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court has been informed that the guidelines prepared by the state and central governments were followed while declaring drought-hit areas in the state.
B.R. Meena, principal secretary, revenue and disaster management department, submitted an affidavit in this regard following a direction from a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Dilip B. Bhosale and Justice P. Naveen Rao on a plea by Congress MLA T. Jeevan Reddy.
Mr Reddy had challenged the failure of the authorities to include 21 of the 40 mandals in Karimnagar district as drought-affected in spite of the recommendation of the district collector.
Mr Meena said though the Karimnagar collector recommended that 40 mandals in the district to be declared drought affected, the state-level committee appointed to identify drought-affected mandals, recommended only 21 mandals.
He submitted that the government was prepared to consider the representation of the MLA to declare other 19 mandals as drought-affected in view of the earlier direction of the court to do so.
While urging the court to dismiss the plea of the MLA in view of the affidavit, the official made it clear that declaring Kesavapatnam mandal alone as was sought by the MLA will not survive any purpose.
