Saturday, October 8, 2011

AP response to Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation plea sought by HC

By S A Ishaqui

Hyderabad,Oct 7 : The vacation judge of the AP High Court Justice B. Seshasayana Reddy on Friday sought to know the response of the state government on a plea by the Karnataka Road Transport Corporation seeking a direction to the government to provide protection to its bus services operating from various places of Karnataka to AP.

The judge was dealing with the petition by the divisional controller of North East Karnataka, Bidar division. The petitioner stated that their corporation was operating 175 services to border villages in AP and Hyderabad from their state. He said that one of their buses was attacked by the agitators at Zaheerabad on September 20, 2011 and their bus crew approached the Medak district police requesting them to provide protection to the passengers and the crew of the bus.
However, the police authorities expressed their inability to provide security to the bus. While directing the government’s counsel to respond on the plea, the judge posted the case after three weeks.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Notice to Andhra Pradesh Government on ‘shortfall’ of power supply

By S A Ishaqui

Hyderabad, Sept 30: A division bench comprising Justice V.V.S. Rao and Justice K.G. Shankar of the AP High Court on Friday issued notices to the state government on a petition alleging that the government was creating artificial shortage of power in Telangana region on the pretext of the ongoing strike by the workers of Singareni Collieries.

The bench was dealing with a petition by Amarachinta Lift Irrigation Farmers Association of Mahbubnagar represented by its secretary Mr Anjaneyulu. Mr D. Prakash Reddy, senior counsel appearing for the petitioners contended that it was nothing but a deliberate attempt by the government to push farmers into trouble by creating artificial scarcity of power through reduction of hydel power generation.

He cited the statistics to show that the power produced from hydro-electric projects has been reduced drastically this year though the major reservoirs are full. Mr Reddy said the Electricity Act empowers the state government to give a direction to the private producers not to sell their power outside the state, but the government was not using that authority. He stated that the action of the government has resulted in shortage and the farming community was bearing the brunt. While issuing the notices to the respondents, the bench adjourned the case to October 10.