HC to TS: Show land records of VMH

The Hyderabad High Court on Tuesday directed the TS government to produce the land records belonging to the Victoria Memorial Home in Saroornagar here.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice Abhinand Kumar Shavili was dealing with a PIL by V.M. Home Orphan Old Students Association L. Buchi Reddy, who challenged the decision of the government to lease 10 acres belonging to the Home to the Rachakonda police commissionerate to construct its headquarters.

Senior counsel Sarasani Satyam Reddy, appearing for the petitioner, said the land belonged to a trust and the state government had no power to lease it.

Additional advocate-general J. Ramachandra Rao contended that the endowments department had the power to lease the land.

Mr Rao told the court that the government would provide all facilities required for the inmates of VM Home.

ACJ RECUSES FROM PLEA ON COLLEGES

Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan recused from hearing a PIL seeking an investigation into the private engineering colleges allegedly obtaining approval from the All India Technical Education Council (AICTE) using fake documents.

Quality Foundation, an NGO of the city, told the court that it had complained to the AICTE that the managements of 185 colleges had got approval with forged documents.

While recusing as he had appeared for some of the respondent colleges, Justice Ranganathan directed the Registry to post the case before another bench.

INDRASENA PLEA ON SOP ADMITTED

The Hyderabad High Court admitted a petition by BJP leader N. Indrasena Reddy challenging the state government for conferring Cabinet rank on advisers, special representatives and government corporations. His counsel Y. Balaji said Article 164 (1A) of the Constitution had imposed a limit on the Cabinet size to 15 per cent of the strength of the Assembly. The bench directed the respondents to file their counter affidavits within three weeks.

SC IMPLEADS TS IN POLAVARAM PLEA

The Supreme Court impleaded TS and Chhattisgarh as parties to the suit filed by Odisha seeking to restrain AP from building the Polavaram dam.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta was allowing an interim application by the Odisha government on the original suit moved in 2007.

AP stated that TS’ consent was deemed under Section 90 (3) of AP Reorganisation Act. Odisha contended that after bifurcation, TS had become a riparian state.

The TS government supported Odisha’s stand.

WARRANT ON AP OFFICIAL

The Hyderabad High Court issued a bailable warrant on AP transport commissioner Balasubrahmanyam as he was not present in court despite its directions.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice Abhinand Kumar Shavili refused the request of AP advocate general D. Srinivas to recall the warrant as his absence was due to a miscommunication from the AG office.

The bench said, “if the authorities take court orders lightly, they have to face this kind of consequences.”

The bench was dealing with a PIL filed by city advocate K.V. Subba Reddy seeking a direction to the two governments to frame guidelines for implementation of laws for staff in transport companies.

TS said 1,123 bus operators had given an assurance that they would register themselves, and 123 had done so.