PIL in HC seeks suspension of e-auction of Budvel lands

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court Advocates’ Association (THCAA), represented by its secretary Katta Pratap Reddy on Tuesday filed a PIL in the HC seeking a direction to suspend the e-auction of lands at Budvel village in Rajendranagar mandal.

The HMDA had issued a notification on August 4 in all leading newspapers inviting bids for the auction of precious government lands in Budvel, where the government had earmarked 100 acres for construction of a new HC building.

The petitioner contends that the government had assured it will allot 100 acres in survey numbers 282 and 299 in Budvel for the construction of a new HC building with world class amenities for the benefit of litigants and advocates. Retracting on its assurance, the government had notified selling of lands in Budvel to private persons, he contends.

The petitioner said some court halls got damaged in the recent heavy rain. That apart there was a fire accident in the court on August 31, 2009, which further damaged the court halls. In view of the increased judges from 24 to 42 there is an impending need to have a new building to house the HC. The Registrar-General of the HC had been regularly communicating with the government for allotment of the 100 acres in Budvel to the court, as assured by the government. However, the government had decided to auction the lands.

The pre-bid meeting for the lands was held on August 6; the last date for registration is August 8; the last date of EMD payment is August 9; the date of e-auction will be August 10, between 11 am and 2 pm. In view of the facts cited, the petitioner sought a direction to suspend the notification for auction of lands.

The PIL will come up for hearing before the Chief Justice bench soon.

Rs.10L ex-gratia sought to each of kin of flood victims

Dr.Balmoori Venkat Narasimha, State NSUI president and a social worker, on Tuesday filed a PIL seeking a direction to the government to pay ex-gratia of Rs.10 lakh each to the families of persons who died in the recent floods and lost property.

The Disaster Management Act, 2005 mandates the States to pay ex-gratia to the kin of all those who lost their lives in natural calamities--earthquake, floods, famine; non-payment of ex-gratia will be a blatant violation of the Act, contends the petitioner. Extending financial help to people in distress will help those in mitigating their problems; the State cannot deny those affected persons with payment ex-gratia.

The petitioner sought a direction to the government to pay Rs. 50,000/acre to all farmers, whose standing crops were washed away in floods and to extend financial benefit under the Rythu Bandhu; provide medical facilities and shift them to safer places. Venkat said the incessant rain disturbed lives of citizens as houses, livestock, essential articles were submerged, creating havoc in Mulugu, Bhadradri- Kothagudem, Asifabad, Peddapalli, Adilabad, Warangal, Hanamakonda and Hyderabad districts. Lakhs of hectares of standing crops were submerged, but the State failed to extend assistance to them. The Union of India, Chief Secretary TS, Principal Secretaries of Revenue and GAD, the collectors of eight districts, TS Power Generation Corporation and Director General, TS Disaster Response Services, are respondents in the PIL. The PIL will come up for hearing before the Chief Justice division bench in a couple of days.

HC takes suo motu

PIL on death of class II student in accident

The Telangana High Court’s division bench, comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice T Vinod Kumar, while dealing with a suo motu writ petition, impleaded the Nizampet municipality as respond no.9 to the PIL and directed the GHMC to file a status report within three weeks. The court converted the news item published in an English daily dated August 3 “Speeding school bus crushes eight-year-old city student to death’ into suo motu PIL. On August 7 G Deekshitha, a class II student in Delhi Public School, Bowrampet, while going to school on her father’s scooty, met with an accident at Dr. Reddy lab in Bachupally..She came under the rear wheel of the bus and died on the spot, due to rash and negligent driving.

The report seeks a direction to the concerned authorities to take action against the driver. During the course of adjudication of the taken up PIL, the GHM standing counsel informed the court that the accident occurred in Bachupally which falls under the Nizampet municipality and prayed to impleaded it. The CJ observed that situation in the twin cities is not proper as the citizens also face a lot of problems due to several potholes on roads, because of which traveling is a nightmare. He adjourned the PIL by three weeks. The CJ’s intent is the pathetic condition of roads in the twin cities is also worse as they are full of potholes; it is not only the Bachupally area, where the girl died.