AP High Court notice to municipal minister Mahidhar

BY S A Ishaqui

Hyderabad, June 18 : A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta and Justice G. Rohini of the AP High Court on Monday issued notices to the state government and minister for municipal administration and urban development, Mr Mahidhar Reddy, Madanapalli MLA, Mr Shahjahan Basha, based on a PIL seeking an inquiry against the minister and MLA for acquiring assets disproportionate to their known sources of income.

Uppu Venkatramana a resident of Chittoor town moved the PIL alleging that the minister and MLA were preventing authorities from taking appropriate action as per proposals made by
the authorities, including the vigilance commissioner against Ms K. Shakuntula, commissioner of Madanapalli municipality.

PIL against mines for Vizag steel

A Public Interest Litigation was filed in the AP High Court on Monday challenging the state government’s decision to grant the Bayyaram mining lease in favour of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (Visakhapatnam Steel Plant). P. Jaya Prakash Rao, retired associate professor from Osmania University, and two others from Khammam district, moved the PIL stating that the government has granted mining lease in favour of Vizag steel plant without obtaining statutory approvals and following the law.

Polavaram plea closed by HC

The state government on Monday submitted before the AP High Court that it was taking steps to complete the construction of Indirasagar (Polavaram) project at the earliest. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta and Justice G. Rohini was dealing with a PIL by Akineni Bhavani Prasad seeking a direction to declare the action of authorities in not completing the project expeditiously, as illegal.

Government’s counsel informed the court that 80 per cent of works related to canals for the project has been already grounded and a contract for head works of the project has awarded to Transstroy JV and relief and rehabilitation has also been providing to affected families.

Nizamabad land value hike stayed

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta and Justice G. Rohini of the AP High Court on Monday granted an interim order suspending the implementation of a GO for five weeks. The GO issued by the state government enhanced the market value of properties in Nizamabad urban and rural areas.

The Bench was dealing with a petition by N. Raja Reddy and another person from Nizamabad against the GO issued on March 30, 2013 to enhance market value of the properties of Nizamabad with effect from April 1, 2013.

Counter sought on Sompeta firing

The AP High Court on Monday directed the state government to file counter affidavit on objections raised by petitioners against the magisterial inquiry report relating to the police firing at Som-peta in Srikakulam on July 14, 2010 in which two people were killed. The government ordered the magisterial inquiry into the incident and placed the report before the court.

Plea on felling trees closed

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta and Justice G. Rohini of the High Court on Monday disposed of a taken up case, on a letter by one K. Lokanadham, a resident of Tirupati addressed to the Chief Justice of the High Court, seeking intervention of the court to stop felling of the trees on Bengaluru-Chittoor highway. The Bench directed the authorities to consider the representation of the petitioner and also consider planting replacement trees for those that were felled.