AP High Court notice to Centre on fake gallantry award

By S A Ishaqui
Hyderabad,Aug. 3: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday directed the Central government to inform its stand on the issue of alleged fake gallantry awards given to four police officials in the state without their participation in an encounter in Karimnagar district in which three top naxal leaders were killed. The court also directed the Chief Secretary to file his counter within a week.
A division bench comprising Justice Goda Raghuram and Justice Ramesh Ranganathan, was dealing with a petition filed challenging the presentation of the prestigious awards to ineligible officials while ignoring the real ones who participated in the encounter.
The bench sought to know whether the Centre had any policy of its own other than accepting the recommendations of a state government.
The bench told Mr A. Rajasekhar Reddy, the assistant-solicitor general, that they would examine the issue on whether the Centre was performing its federal duty as envisaged in the Constitution.
Mr Reddy told the court that since the awards were withdrawn, they closed the matter at their end. The bench granted three weeks to the Centre to file its counter.

TTD told to give list of wealth

The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday directed the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) to submit a list of jewellery, gold dollars and other assets of Lord Venkateswara and other deities under the purview of the TTD.
The court while hearing a petition filed by one B. Govinda Reddy against the inaction of the TTD in protecting the assets and punishing the guilty, asked the counsel for the TTD what the authorities were doing in this regard till now.
Mr S.R. Ashok, senior counsel, who appeared for the TTD, told the court that a retired judge of the Supreme Court was appointed to look into the irregularities.
Mr S. Ramachandra Rao, senior counsel who appeared for the petitioner expressed apprehensions over the safety of the jewellery in view of the irregularities that were coming to light and the laxity of the officials.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the TTD trust board, Mr D.K. Adikeshavulu Naidu, said that the details of the assets of all temples under the TTD, would be placed before the High Court withing the stipulated time. Till date the very query into the details about the Lord’s jewels was considered a taboo. None of the officials used to entertain the question.

Writ filed on red gram price

A writ petition was filed in the Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday challenging the inaction of the authorities in controlling the price of red gram.