Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court asked the state government who was the competent authority to permit use of explosives to carry out blasting in the city or in the Jubilee Hills area. The court directed additional advocate-general Mohd Imran Khan to inform the court within two weeks.
A division bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice G.M. Mohiuddin was dealing with a suo motu PIL, registered on the basis of a news report published a year ago and on the basis of a communication addressed by a judge of the Telangana High Court to the Chief Justice. The news report related to huge blasting operations at the hillocks in and around the Nyay Vihar, the residential complex in which the judges reside.
The bench observed that there appeared to be a gray area on competent authority as the commissioner of Hyderabad police seemed to be authorised to grant such permission under the Hyderabad City Police Act, 1348 Fasli. But, the permissions appeared to be coming somewhere else, the bench observed.
HC asks TG to regularise Anganwadis
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court, using its extraordinary jurisdiction, directed the state government to regularise anganwadi workers and supervisors grade-II staff of the Integrated Child Development Services, who have been working on contract basis from 1985.
Justice Nagesh Bheempaka passed the order while disposing of a matter of 2013, filed against a fresh recruitment notification that year for appointment of anganwadi workers and supervisors grade-II. Contract workers Meerabai and others had approached the High Court complaining that they were appointed 1985 and later on. Due to the ban imposed at the time on appointments, the petitioners were appointed on contract through an agency.
Bobbili Srinivas, counsel for the petitioners, argued that fresh notification for appointments was issued in 2013 against the petitioners’ posts. Despite having the required educational qualifications and serving for more than one decade, the government did not consider them for appointment.
Exercising its extraordinary jurisdiction, the court allowed the petitioners’ request for regularisation. The court viewed that the government having utilised the services of the petitioners for decades could not subject them to a fresh selection process to compete against the same vacancy in which they are working. In view of the settled law laid down by the Supreme Court in the Uma Devi case, the petitioners would be entitled for counting their service, prior to regularisation, for pension and retirement benefits, the court said.
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Thursday granted conditional bail to the suspended Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) president Arishanapally Jaganmohan Rao.
The High Court directed him to execute a personal bond for a sum of Rs.1 lakh with two sureties. He shall appear before the police station concerned at 11 am every Monday for a period of eight weeks or till the filing of chargesheet, whichever is earlier. The court said Jaganmohan Rao shall not enter into the office of the HCA stadium, the Telangana Cricket Association office, or any other cricket stadiums or premises connected with the investigation. He shall surrender his passport before the trial court concerned.
The court considered that Jaganmohan Rao was in judicial custody for 50 days, the investigation officer had examined 18 witnesses, and most evidence has been collected. It viewed that the continued incarceration for over 45 days appeared to be unwarranted given the circumstances.
Action on Tax Officer for Bypassing Rule
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Thursday directed the commissioner of commercial taxes to take action against the assistant commissioner, Somajiguda circle, for illegally issuing a ‘garnishee’ notice to a trader without following due process. A garnishee is a third party (like a bank or an employer) who holds assets and is ordered by a court to pay funds directly to the creditor.
A division bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice G.M. Mohiuddin quashed the notice that had frozen the bank account of Subbaiah Mallemkondu, proprietor of Sree Akshaya Oil Refineries, for alleged GST dues of nearly `3 crore.
The petitioner argued that his GST registration was suspended despite applying for a change of address, and that no assessment order was passed before issuing the recovery notice which is mandatory under the GST Act. The officer admitted the lapse, blaming staff miscommunication, and apologised in person.
HC Issues Notice on Sigachi Blast Probe
Hyderabad: The state government on Thursday filed a counter before the Telangana High Court in a PIL seeking constitution of a special investigation team (SIT) and expedited investigation into blast at Sigachi Industries in which over 45 people have been killed so far.
On July 31, the High Court had directed the government to file a detailed counter in the PIL that was filed by septuagenarian retired scientist Kalapala Babu Rao seeking different reliefs including release of the report of the high-powered committee created on June 30 to fix accountability and culpability of the company. The court adjourned the matter to September 16 and directed the petitioner to file a reply affidavit to the government counters.
