Explain illegal constructions, state told

How can authorities express helplessness, wonders bench

Wondering at the helplessness of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Authority in preventing illegal constructions, the Hyderabad High Court on Tuesday directed the TS government, HMDA and the Endowments commissioner to file affidavits explaining the facts and circumstances of alleged illegal constructions by some private parties on government land at Devatalagutta at Balapur of the city.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice Shameem Akhter was dealing with a PIL by Devatalagutta Parirakshana Samiti vice-president N. Ramreddy, challenging the inaction of the authorities in preventing private parties from taking up constructions on government land.

P.S.P. Suresh Kumar, counsel for the petitioner, submitted that Pride India Builders Ltd., a real estate firm, took up construction of villas by demolishing temples and other structures on 150 acres of government land and also lands belonging to private individuals.

He told the court that though the petitioner had made several complaints to the authorities concerned, there was no response.

Mr Rama Rao, counsel for the HMDA, while admitting that the allegations of the petitioner were true, said that private persons were taking up construction activity with the help of status quo orders of the High Court.

Expressing wonder at the continuation of construction activity despite status quo order, the bench pointed out that it would not be proper on the part of the HMDA, which is a government institution, to express helplessness.

The bench questioned HMDA counsel why they have not brought to the notice of the court the construction activity by placing the photographs before it.

Counsel urged the court to grant a week to place all the details.

While adjourning the case to next week, the bench directed the authorities concerned to file the affidavits.

TS, AP told to bear medical bills

The Hyderabad High Court on Tuesday directed the governments of both AP and TS to bear the medical bills of retired members of the AP Administrative Tribunal in the ratio of 58:42.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice Shameem Akhter was dealing with a petition by K. Srinivas, an advocate of the city, challenging the failure of the two governments to pay the medical bills of the retired APAT members.

The bench asked the retired members to submit their medical bills to the tribunal chairman and told the governments to clear the bills within 10 days from the day of receiving them.

B. Mahender Reddy, special counsel for the TS government submitted that the state presently was not under the jurisdiction of APAT and if the court orders, it would bear medical bills in the ratio of 41:68.

Reacting to this submission, the bench said that rules specify that the government of the state from where an employee retires will bear medical expenses of that employee. This rule is also applicable to High Court judges, the bench said.

Drivers’ work schedule sought

The Hyderabad High Court on Tuesday directed the governments of AP and Telangana states to submit a detailed report with respect to the working hours of drivers engaged by private transport undertakings, including Diwakar Travels in terms of AP Motor Transport Workers Rules, 1963, by April 18.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice Shameem Akhter was dealing with a PIL by K.V. Subba Reddy, an advocate of the city seeking to direct the two governments and the authorities concerned to frame guidelines for effective implementation of the Provisions of Motor Vehicles Act 1988, Motor Transport Workers Act, 1961 and AP Motor Transport Workers Rules, 1963.

The petitioner also urged the court to declare as illegal the inability of the respondents to perform their statutory duty in preventing the accident on February 28, at Moolapadu village in Penuganchiprolu mandal of Krishna district.

He prayed the court to direct the official respondents to make the competent authority for enforcement of AP Motor Transport Workers Rules, 1963, liable for criminal negligence for the loss of lives in the accident at Moolapadu or their failure to implement the law.