Will submit GO 111 report: CS Somesh promises HC

THE HIGH Powered Committee should have submitted its report within 45 days from the G.O. 839 dated December 7, 2016.

In what could be a rare incident, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar made all effort to placate a furious Telangana High Court and went on to make an oath that he will submit to the court without fail the High Power Committee (HPC) report tasked with examining the relevance of G.O. 111 in the context of current and future development of Hyderabad.

Somesh Kumar himself is chairman of the HPC, which ought to have by now presented its report on G.O. 111 that prohibits development in catchment areas of the two drinking water reservoirs of Hyderabad City – Osmansagar and Himayatsagar. Owing to enormous development of the state capital and consequent steep increase in land values, there is heavy demand for land in 84 villages that fall within the catchment areas of the two reservoirs, which were once a lifeline for the twin cities.

The Chief Secretary submitted before High Court as follows: “I sincerely state (under) oath that best endeavour would be made to abide by the conditions and timelines directed by the High Court in submitting the report (of High Power Committee constituted for studying G.O. 111 and its impact) and put (the report’s contents) in public domain.”

The High Court was furious that despite four-and-ahalf years elapsing after the HPC had been constituted in 2016, there has been no word on how much more time the committee requires for submitting the report.

Moreover, a Division Bench of the High Court headed by the Chief Justice had given an ultimatum to the HPC and the Telangana government that they either submit the report or disband the committee itself.

After the court’s warning, the government’s counsel had submitted before the bench on August 13 that HPC will submit the report within four weeks from that day. Feeling sceptical about the counsel’s promise after four years have elapsed without the report being submitted, the court sought undertaking from chairman of the HPC. With that, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, who himself is chairman of the HPC, submitted the undertaking to the court.

As per the terms of reference, the High Powered Committee should have submitted its report within 45 days from the day of its constitution by virtue of G.O. 839 dated December 7, 2016.