Andhra Pradesh High Court to take up plea against Chnadrababu Naidu today

By S A Ishaqui
Hyderabad,Oct 31 : The AP High Court will hear on Tuesday Y.S. Vijayalakshimi’s plea against Telugu Desam chief N. Chandrababu Naidu seeking a probe by the CBI into the alleged amassing of wealth by the latter when he was the chief minister.

A division bench comprising acting Chief Just-ice Ghulam Mohammed and Justice Nooty Ramamohana Rao will hear the case.

Ms Vijayalakshmi had contended that Mr Naidu’s acts in allotting lands and granting benefits and exe-mptions to several institutions and individuals as the chief minister would attract provisions of various penal laws.

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.

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.

Andhra Pradesh High Court clears Group-1 exam to be held from September 25

By S A Ishaqui

Hyderabad, Sept 23 :The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Friday allowed the AP Public Service Commission to conduct Group I examinations as scheduled, by refusing to stay the notification issued for the recruitment of 110 posts. The examinations are scheduled to be held from Sept. 25 to October.

This decision sets the stage for a major showdown between the state government and Telangana supporters.

While partially allowing the writ petitions challenging the notification, a division bench comprising Justice V.V.S. Rao and Justice K. G. Shankar directed that the Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission allow the 1004 left out candidates who secured 83 marks out of 150 in the screening test, to appear for the main examination.

The court refused the plea to add additional vacant posts to the existing list and said that the examination should be conducted for the posts announced at the time of notification. The court observed that the APPSC should continue the cut-off mark of 83 for the main examination to put an end to further controversy.

Referring to the controversy with regard to cut-off marks, the bench said, “We may reiterate that at the stage of screening test, all the candidates who secured the cut-off mark, whether it is 150 out of 150 or 83 out of 150, are one class, because it only enables them to participate in the written test.”

The bench made it clear that if any rule, government order or decision of the APPSC, or the recruitment notification, requires a time gap between the screening test and main test, then any such condition, given the peculiar facts and circumstances of these cases, shall not be applicable to the main exam to be held on September 25.

While the Telangana supporters are demanding postponement of exams in view of the Sakala Janula Samme, the government has made it clear that there is no question of postponement at his stage. The Telangana leaders have threatened to disrupt the exam to be held in centres in Hyderabad and Warangal in the Telangana region if the government remains adamant.

Andhra Pradesh High Court issues notice to KCR, AP, Centre over ongoing T-strike

By S A Ishaqui
Hyderabad, Sept 19 :A division bench comprising Chief Justice Nisar Ahmad Kakru and Justice Vilas V. Afzulpurkar of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday issued notices to the Telangana Rastra Samiti chief, Mr K. Chandrasekhar Rao, Telangana Joint Action of Committee (political) convener, Professor Kodandaram, Telangana NGOs Association, state government and the Centre on a plea seeking a direction to prevent the indefinite general strike by all employees of Telangana region.

The bench was dealing with a petition filed by Mr P. Venkata Narayana, a practicing advocate from Visakhapatnam seeking a direction to declare the inaction of the government in not preventing the on going agitation by Telangana employees. Mr P.V. Krishnaiah, counsel for the petitioner said that the entire agitation aimed at the state government was misconceived as it was not for the state government to grant a separate state and in any event in light of Article 371 D, the question of granting a separate state did not arise. He contended that the government employees could not go on a strike on an issue not related to their service and therefore the call for strike was illegal. The bench directed the respondents to file their counter affidavits on the plea within a week.