Hyderabad High Court permits red sanders auction

Hyderabad: A vacation bench comprising Justices G. Chandraiah and M.S.K. Jaiswal of the Hyderabad High Court on Wednesday allowed the Andhra Pradesh state government to auction the seized red sanders as per schedule on October 10. While dealing with a plea by the state government seeking to vacate the stay granted by the National Green Tribunal in Chennai on global auction of the seized red sanders, the bench made it clear that bids shall not be finalised till further orders.

The state government represented by its principal secretary to environment and forest moved a writ petition contending that red sanders lawfully belonging to the state of AP and the Centre accepted the same and also and permitting the state government foreign trade of red sanders by way of a notification. The AP government has urged the court to vacate the stay as the Green Tribunal has no jurisdiction to involve in the issue as once the Centre declared that the property belonging to the state government.

Assistant solicitor general B. Narayana Reddy said the state government could seek remedy by moving an appeal before the Supreme Court instead of the High court which has no jurisdiction to hear the matter. Replying a query from the bench, P. Venugopal, advocate general of the AP said that the High Court could exercise its extraordinary jurisdiction vested in it by virtue of Article 226 of the Constitution.

The bench stayed the tribunal order and issued notices to all the respondents directing them to file their counter affidavits. While granting interim stay, the bench issued notices to the concerned respondents.