PIL seeks direction to State govt to hold local body elections

The Telangana High Court’s division bench, comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice T Vinod Kumar, on Friday expressed serious concern over the delay on by the State government to hold elections to the local bodies. It directed Naseer Ahmed Khan, GP (Panchayati Raj and Rural Development) to inform the Advocate- General so that he will get instructions from the government as to by which date it will hold elections.

Polls to the local bodies--zillaparishads, mandal parishads and gram panchayats-- have not been held for a long time because of which posts of 220 Sarpanch, 94 MPTCs, four ZPTCs, 5,364 ward members and 344 deputy sarpanches are vacant across the State since years.

The CJ turning to Khan observed “when the State will hold elections to the local bodies... on 11th of this month also this court had directed the A-Gl to apprise the State’s decision to hold the polls.. irrespective of incessant rain, the State has to hold elections..”

In the interregnum, Vidya Sagar, senior counsel appearing for the State Election Commission, informed the court that as and when the government gives permission, it will go ahead and conduct elections to the local bodies.

The bench was adjudicating the PIL filed by advocate Rapolu Bhaskar seeking directions to the government and the CEO not conducting the elections. Work in panchayats are being carried out by nominating representatives, depriving citizens in districts of development/welfare activities.

HC directs govt to file report on relief measures taken during devastating floods by Aug. 31

The HC division bench on Friday directed the government to file a comprehensive report on relief measures taken up during the floods lashing the State, evicting the victims to safer places, extending compensation to the dependants of the dead in floods, providing shelter, food and other material to those whose houses are washed away in districts. It directed the State to file a report by August 31.

The bench was adjudicating the PIL filed by Dr Cheruku Sudhakar seeking directions to the Union of India and the State government to extend relief to flood victims in 2020.

The petitioner contended that farmers lost their crops, people lost houses, belongings and other material, which were washed away in 2020 floods, payment of compensation/ex-gratia, which is still pending.

Chikkudu Prabhakar, counsel for the petitioner, filed an interim application, seeking a direction to State to extend relief to all the flood victims of 2023 floods, whose lives are devastated due to the havoc and fury unleashed by floods which hit districts of Mulugu, Jayashankar Bhoopalapally, Peddapalli, Asifabad-Komaram Bheem, Adilabad, Bhadradri-Kothagudem, Warangal Urban, Warangal Rural, Mahbubnagar, Hyderabad and others.

The petitioner sought a direction to State to pay compensation/ex-gratia to dependants of farmers and persons, who lost their lives in the floods.

The bench, after hearing the counsel for the petitioner, directed the government to file a comprehensive report as to (i) what relief measures have been taken till now (ii) what relief measures are yet to be taken (iii) evicting / shifting flood victims to safer places (iv) providing shelter, food and other material to the victims (v) payment of ex-gratia to dependants of those who lost lives in floods (vi) number of persons who died (vii) whether any war room created by State to assess loss caused by floods. Hearing in the case has been adjourned to July 31.

Revanth files petition seeking information on TOT Nehru ORR under RTI Act

The HC single bench of Justice BollamVijaysen Reddy on Friday heard the writ petition filed by A Revanth Reddy, MP and TPCC president, seeking a direction to the State government to furnish information pertaining to TOT Nehru ORR and questioned the Advocate-General Banda Shivananda Prasad why information sought by the petitioner was not furnished to him.

Justice Reddy observed the information sought should have been furnished as he is a MP; when information sought by him is not furnished, he will speak on this issue in Parliament.

Prasad, while replying to query of judge, informed there are some parameters laid down in the act; as per the parameters only, information will be divulged. He sought two weeks time to file a detailed counter-affidavit.

T Rajnikanth Reddy, counsel for the petitioner. said the petitioner has even approached the Telangana Information Commission seeking information. The TIC is defunct as there is no CIC and ICs in TIC. Hence, the petitioner was forced to approach the concerned officers to get information, he said.

Justice Reddy was hearing the plea filed by Revanth Reddy seeking a direction to the government to divulge information pertaining to TOT of Nehru ORR which is awarded to INB Infrastructure Developers Ltd at a cost of Rs. 7,380 crore for 30 years. Hearing in the case was adjourned by two weeks.