Let Priest Manage Festival at Nalgonda Temple: Telangana HC

Hyderabad: Justice N.V. Shravan Kumar of the Telangana High Court on Monday stalled the constitution of a six-member festival committee for the Sambhu Lingeshwara temple, Veliminedu village in Nalgonda district. The judge was dealing with a petition filed by Vavilala Prabhakar Sharma, purohit of the temple, who complained that the constitution of such a committee was wholly illegal and unwarranted. It was contended by the petitioner that there was no notification, including the temple’s, as one under the Endowments Act. Mangela Naik, the government pleader brought to the notice of the court that the notification was issued way back in 1963. The petitioner's counsel, however, pointed out that the temple is a private temple of the family and it was performing pujas without any interference. The impugned order is an infringement of the fundamental rights, the petitioner said. Justice Shravan Kumar noticed photographs on the file of the case and observed that an old gentleman was maintaining the temple well and must be permitted to go ahead with the pujas pending adjudication. The judge also directed maintenance of the status quo.

 Azamabad industrial estate: Govt urged to respond:

Justice Nagesh Bheemapaka of the Telangana High Court required the government to respond to allegations of its failure to convert leasehold land to freehold in Azamabad industrial estate. The judge granted time to the government till Monday to respond. Petitioner Pramod Kumar Agarwal complained that the authorities had failed to convert the land belonging to the petitioner admeasuring 2499 sq. yds., in the industrial estate from leasehold to freehold in terms of the government order issued in this regard. It was contended that such failure was also contrary to the provisions of the Azamabad Industrial Area Termination and Regulation of Leases Amendment Act 2000.