Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Friday directed the state government to declare its stand on a petition seeking to extend the benefits of Rythu Bandhu scheme to tenant farmers.
Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao, while dealing with the petition by Mr Durgam Prashanth, a tenant farmer from Bhupalapally district, directed the authorities to take an appropriate decision within three weeks on the representation of the petitioner for issuance of loan eligibility card.
The petitioner challenged the decision by the state government to limit the benefits under the Rythu Bandhu scheme only to the land owners, irrespective of their occupation and not issuing loan eligibility cards to tenant farmers like him. He said the government’s decision was illegal and unconstitutional.
He submitted that his father was also a tenant farmer and they were eking their livelihood by cultivating crops in the lands in Bayyaram village of the district.
He urged the court to direct the authorities to extend the agriculture investment support under Rythu Bandhu scheme to the actual cultivators like him as per law.
While issuing the notices to the state government, the judge directed them to file counter affidavits.
Pil in HC seeks amendment of penal code
A petition has been moved in the Hyderabad High Court, seeking to declare operative portion of Section 41(1)(b) of CrPC, which stipulates that cognisable offences are punishable with imprisonment for a term which may be less than or equal to seven years with or without a fine, as unconstitutional.
Ms P. Durga Devi, a resident of the city, moved the plea urging the court to direct the authorities concerned to reduce the term to less than or three years with or without fine as mandated in Section 29 (2) 0f Cr. Pc.
The petitioner also raised objection to police issuing the notice under Section 41 of CrPC in a dispute between a bank and its customer pertaining to a gold loan.
Bar council election ends smoothly
Polling for the elections to the Bar Councils of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana concluded peacefully across courts in both states on Friday.
Ms. Renuka, secretary of the Bar Council, said that according to initial reports, 80 per cent polling was recorded in Telangana state and 85 per cent in the Andhra Pradesh.
She said that 107 advocates in AP and 86 advocates in TS were in the fray for 25 posts in the each of the councils. Justice A. Shankar Nara-yana and Justice P Kesh-ava Rao were the returning officers of Telangana and AP respectively.
