HC Tells Bhoodan Board to Give Information on its Lands in Telangana
Justice Lakshman was hearing petitions concerning alleged transactions involving Bhoodan and government lands in Nagaram village, Maheshwaram mandal, where certain All India Services officers are said to have purchased 28 acres in Survey Nos. 194 and 195.
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has directed the Bhoodan Yagna Board to furnish comprehensive details of Bhoodan lands across the State. Justice K. Lakshman ordered the Board’s counsel to provide data on: (i) lands donated to the Board since its inception, (ii) the number of parcels distributed to eligible beneficiaries, and (iii) the land bank presently remaining with the Board.
The judge directed the Board to submit the details by July 31, clarifying that information limited to specific areas, such as Nagaram village or Maheshwaram mandal, would not suffice; the Board must provide statewide data.
Meanwhile, the state government informed the court that it is prepared to conduct a probe into alleged misuse of Bhoodan lands, if so directed.
Justice Lakshman was hearing petitions concerning alleged transactions involving Bhoodan and government lands in Nagaram village, Maheshwaram mandal, where certain All India Services officers are said to have purchased 28 acres in Survey Nos. 194 and 195.
Referring to the Board’s statement that the lands purchased by IAS and IPS officers do not belong to the Bhoodan Board, and relying on the Ranga Reddy district collector’s counter, counsel for the officers sought modification of earlier orders that had included these lands in the prohibited list. The judge declined to modify the orders at this stage, stating that the court would not consider any change until the petitioners complete their submissions.
Counsel for the IAS/IPS officers and other private purchasers advanced their arguments and cited earlier judgments on when the government may appoint a commission under the Commissions of Inquiry Act.
At the request of the petitioners’ counsel, the matter was adjourned to July 31.
Why entrust CMRF cheque to outsourced staff, Telangana HC asks police
Hyderabad: In the alleged misappropriation of `9 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF) cheques by an outsourced employee in former health minister T. Harish Rao’s office, the Telangana High Court sought to know why the medical and health department had entrusted the handling of CMRF cheques to an outsourced employee.
Justice K. Lakshman of the High Court on Wednesday directed the Jubilee Hills police, who are probing the case, to inform the court of the reasons behind delegating such duties to an outsourced employee.
The court further directed Mahesh Raje, counsel for the home department, to ask the police to submit the status of the investigation in the FIRs filed in connection with the alleged scam or misappropriation. The court also directed the police to furnish the evidentiary statements.
The judge was dealing with a petition filed on behalf of Jogula Naresh Kumar, a contract-based data entry operator in former health minister Harish Rao's office during the BRS government, who is the prime accused in the case. His wife filed the petition, alleging that the police were intentionally registering multiple FIRs in the same case against her husband, and that five FIRs had been filed so far.
Mahesh Raje, counsel for the home department, submitted that the accused and others had fraudulently encashed 19 CMRF cheques without distributing them to the intended beneficiaries. Based on complaints from the aggrieved persons, the police are registering the cases. The court adjourned the matter to August 4.
