Telangana Power bills issue: TSERC will take it up, rules High Court

Telangana Power bills issue: The High Court Bench of Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice Bollam Vijaysen Reddy on Monday heard three public interest litigations challenging the issuance of inflated electricity bills post-lockdown in Telangana State.

As the petitioners in the public interest litigations have sought a waiver of electricity bills generated during the past three months of lockdown period i.e., March, April and May 2020 alleging that the bills generated are in sheer violation of Electricity Act, 2003.

Advocate General Banda Shivananda Prasad informed the bench that a committee is constituted namely, 'Telangana State Regulatory Commission' established to redress the grievances of consumers. As on Monday, the committee has received 6,767 complaints and 6,678 complaints been resolved by the authorities. Further, 89 complaints are yet to be resolved and it will be resolved in a couple of days, AG said.

After hearing the contentions of Advocate General the Bench opined that a committee has been constituted which will be resolving the grievances of the electricity consumers. Let the consumers first approach such a committee, the bench added.

Moreover, the CJ bench issued notices to the Principal Secretary, Power and Energy, Chairman, TSSPDCL and the Telangana State Electricity Regulatory Commission to redress the grievances of consumers. The Court directed the Advocate General to ensure that wide publicity is given about the Commission so that consumers approach this committee.

HC castigates SCR on its reluctance to enable migrants returning home

The High Court division headed by Chief Justice RS Chauhan and Justice B.Vijaysen Reddy adjudicated the batch of three public interest litigations to transport migrant labour stranded in the State to their respective States namely, Chattisgarh, Bihar, Orissa etc.

Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan directed the South Central Railways Divisional Railway Manager, Secunderabad to appear before the Court on Tuesday and explain reasons for not attaching an extra bogie to the Bihar bound Hyd-Patna Train, to enable the 45 migrant labour, hailing from Bihar, stranded in Telangana. Counsel for the migrant workers, Vasudha Nagaraj alleged that the SCR is not taking the initiative to transport the 45 migrant workers stranded in Telangana to Bihar.

Chief Justice pointed out that what prevented the South Central Railways to add an extra bogie to the Train bound to leave to Bihar. It does not cost much to railways by adding an extra bogie to the train. When a goods train can be run with 72 bogies, why can't the SCR attach one bogie extra to the existing 24 bogies? There is no scientific reason which disallows SCR from adding an extra bogie to the train, said CJ Chauhan.

Moreover, the CJ Bench brushed aside the contention raised by standing counsel for SCR Pushpender Kaur that it is not feasible financially to add an extra bogie. CJ said when an NGO in Mumbai could arrange a flight to transport migrant labour from Mumbai to Patna, why can't the Railways think out of the box and attach an extra bogie in this critical condition, the Bench added.

CJ Chauhan expressed deep concern saying that 'I do not think that the heart of the railways has stopped beating because it is not able to add an extra bogie to the train bound to Bihar so that these poor migrant workers will reach their state safely'. CJ said, if the Telangana Govt has not spoken to the SCR, as the Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court, I will appeal to the DRM to ensure that an extra bogie is added to the Bihar bound train. For further hearing, the case has been adjourned to Tuesday.

Govt files counter-affidavit on T Cong leaders' arrest case

The High Court on Monday heard 12 tags of petitions of the Congress leaders alleging the illegal arrest of its leaders including several MPs and TPCC President. On behalf of the State Government, the Advocate General filed a counter-affidavit and alleged that during this crucial period of Covid-19 pandemic, they called for anti-government activities in the state and they had violated Covid-19 regulations in its entirety.

On June 2, the Telangana State Formation Day TPCC has given a call for Jala Deeksha and moreover the leaders have not at all followed the guidelines of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The Government claimed that the political agenda was behind the Congress Party's call to visit Kaleshwaram Project, moreover, the congress leaders have not even taken police permission for the visit.

To maintain peace and tranquillity the police personnel stopped the leaders from coming out of their respective homes, stated the Government in the counter affidavit. The petitioner's counsel Rachana Reddy would file a reply counter on the government-issued counter and the matter has been adjourned to June 26.

Stop illegal constructions: High Court

The High Court directed the Hyderabad District Collector and the Tahsildar, Bahadurpura Mandal, Hyderabad to ensure that no illegal constructions are made in the land pertaining to the Jagannadha Swamy temple at Hari Bowli, Shah Ali Banda, Hyderabad.

The Division Bench headed by the Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan & Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy was hearing public interest litigation filed by Telangana Vanarasena Society, it's President N.Rami Reddy, with a plea that some anti-social elements and land grabbers are illegally resorting to constructions in the temple by demolishing idols of Goddesses and other structures and the authorities are not taking any action against the miscreants. The Division Bench adjourned the public interest litigation by six weeks directing the District Collector Hyderabad and Tahsildar, Bahadurpura to file a report on the issue.