Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Monday rejected the Telangana government’s request to give 249 days to hold GHMC elections.

While dealing with a PIL by Forum for Good Governance, represented by M. Padmanabha Reddy, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta and Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar said that the court will grant a little more time to the government to come out with an election schedule.

The petitioner challenged the action of the government in not holding elections even after expiry of the elected council and continuing the administration of the civic body by appointing a special officer. Advocate-general K. Ramakrishna Reddy, submitted an affidavit explaining the reasons for delay in holding the elections.

While questioning the government’s delay in initiating the delimitation process in August 2014 despite an order from the court, the bench asked the petitioner to file a reply affidavit and adjourned the case to next week.

Centre to reply on KG gas for TS, AP

A division bench comprising Justice Dilip B. Bhosale and Justice A. Ramalingeswara Rao of the Hyderabad High Court on Monday asked the assistant solicitor general to ascertain from the Centre and inform the court if it has taken any decision to allocate gas explored from the KG Basin to the states of Telangana and AP.

The bench was dealing with a PIL by Palem Srikanth Reddy, president of Janapalana party, and an NRI from Kadapa district seeking a probe through the CBI into allocation of D6 Block to the Reliance Industries by the BJP and the TD in 2000. He alleged that Reliance Industries, which bagged the contract, was allegedly scuttling the chances of the states in availing its legitimate share of gas from the KG Basin. Counsel for the petitioner submitted to the bench that recently a report had appeared in newspapers that the Centre has decided to allocate gas to both the states. Reacting to the submissions, the bench granted 10 days time to the ASG to ascertain the facts from the Centre and to place them before it.

TS to reply on illegal land occupants

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta and Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar of the Hyderabad High Court directed the Telangana government to file compliance report after two weeks of summer vacation on an interim order granted by it with regard to the decision of the government to regularise illegal occupants on government lands.

The bench on February 2, 2015, directed the government to inform all applicants under the scheme through media that the regularisation will be subject to final outcome of pleas filed against the scheme. When a batch of petitions came up for hearing on Monday, the bench sought to know from counsel for the government whether the government had given any publication in the newspapers in this regard.

When there was no convincing reply from counsel, the bench told him to instruct TS to implement the direction of the court and report compliance.

TRS leader’s plea dismissed by HC

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta and Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar of the Hyderabad High Court on Monday dismissed a petition by Dr S. Venugopala Chary, TRS leader and special representative of the Telangana government at New Delhi, seeking to declare the action of the Centre in not implementing the statutory promises and assurances given to the people of Telangana at the time of bifurcation of AP, as illegal. S. Ramachandra Rao, senior counsel appearing for the petitioner said several promises were made in the Act regarding national highways, railways, power plants, river waters and no steps were initiated by the Centre so far despite several representations by the petitioner.

While declaring that the petitioner has no locus standi to file this case, Justice Sengupta said that the aggrieved party if any, will be the state of Telangana, and it is for the state of Telangana to seek relief. The bench also rejected the request of counsel to grant leave to approach the Supreme Court.

AP frames rules to rein in policemen

The AP government on Monday informed the Hyderabad HC that specific guidelines are being framed to deal with the policing in Vijayawada city. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta and Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar was closing a plea by Chiranjeevi, an advocate from Vijayawada, challenging the action of Vijayawada police in restricting movements of citizens after 11 pm on roads and also insisting that they produce ID cards if they are found outside the house after 11 pm.