Centre told to settle varsity row

 

The court directed the Centre to frame guidelines according to Section 75 of the AP Reorganisation Act to settle the dispute between both the states within eight weeks. 

The court made it clear that AP shall bear salaries of teaching and non–teaching staff working in study centres of both the varsities located in AP from the month of Aug. 2015 onwards. 

 

A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Dilip B. Bhosale and Justice S.V. Bhatt was dealing with petitions separately by the AP government, Prof. P. Chenna Reddy of Telugu University and a taken up matter. 

The AP government has sought continuation of services of the Telugu University at its campuses located in Rajahmundry, Srisailam and Kuchipudi of AP state, which have been stopped by the varsity through an order dated Aug. 19, 2015. Prof. P. Chenna Reddy challenged his transfer to AP state in the middle of the academic year inspite of instructions from the state Governor. 

 

The High Court has suo motto taken up a case with regard to the decision of the Telangana government not to extend services of Ambedkar Open University to the regional centres in AP. 

It may be recalled that on Sept. 1, the bench directed the secretaries of higher education of both the states hold a meeting on Sept. 3 to find an amicable solution to the dispute and inform the court on Friday. When these matters came up for hearing the counsels of both the governments informed the bench that the authorities failed to arrive at a conclusion to settle the dispute. 

 

Expressing dissatisfaction at the outcome of the meeting of authorities, the bench said it is inclined to pass an interim order in the interest of the students and faculty of the varsities. 

The bench directed that AP has to bear the salaries of staff working in regional centres in AP of both the varsities and the Registrars shall continue the services to the centres including conducting examinations for the AP students. The bench made it clear that the interim orders will remain in force till either the Centre takes a decision or the final disposal of the cases pending before it. 

 

 

A PIL was filed in the High Court seeking that the RTA be directed not to impose lifetime tax on vehicles registered in other states plying in Telangana. According to the Central Motor Vehicles Act, there is no provision for a state to collect the tax but the Telangana RTA has been collecting lifetime tax from outstation vehicles over the last four months. Section 47 of the CMV 1988 gives a private vehicle owner 12 months time to register the vehicle after it bringing into another state.

 

“CMV talks only about registration after 12 months; nowhere has it talked about payment of additional lifetime tax and this has been clarified by a court order dated March 17, 2015. Also the Telangana government has not passed any state specific amendment which mandates it to collect lifetime tax from outstation vehicles in 30 days. Karnataka is the only state to pass such amendment which is contested by ‘Drive Without Borders’ in the Karnataka High Court,” said Waseem Memon, from Drive Without Borders, the group which has filed the PIL. 

 

The PIL filed in the High Court seeks that RTA does not collect Life Time Tax from such vehicles unless the owner of the vehicle prefers to enter the vehicle into the rolls of the state of Telangana. 

 

Also the PIL seeks that the High Court direct RTA not to seize vehicles or harass owners by detaining their vehicles registered outside the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, who are found to be plying within the state of Telangana and pass any other order or orders as this Court may deem fit and proper in the circumstances of the case.